Heroes
by Blowfish the Monkey Tamer
Summary: I LIVE! Ch. 13: He knows it's what she wants that matters. But what if even she doesn't think it matters anymore?
1. A Normal Day

**Blowfish: Not only is this my first Teen Titans fic, but it's my first non-humor fic, too! Yeah, I decided to take a crack at the whole "serious" thing. Anyway, there are a few things that need to be said before you read this. The story itself, before anyone asks, was inspired by the lesson in _Spiderman 2_. I know many of you feel this may be unoriginal, but I feel the lesson can be applied to _all _heroes, not just Spiderman. And if you haven't seen the movie, don't worry, you'll get it anyway. And yes, this fic will be _somewhat_ Raven-centered, just like half of all the Teen Titans fics. I can't help it, she's my favorite character! I hope you enjoy this fic.**

**"talking" 'thinking'**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans. If I did, Robin would stop being such a wuss and just ask Starfire out.**

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BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BE—SLAM!

Rae Roth groggily slammed the snooze on her alarm. 'Damn, I hate that alarm…ALARM?! Crap!'

Rae quickly turned off her alarm and sprang out of her bed. She hurriedly ran to her closet, tripping over several things along the way, while cursing herself for not cleaning up more. She tossed her nightclothes (a blue t-shirt and some gray sweatpants) into the corner and pulled on jeans and a black sweater. She grabbed her recently-completed article off her writing desk, which took up, in Rae's opinion, far too much space in her small, shabby apartment. But she needed it badly, so she really couldn't complain.

She stumbled down the stairs of her building, passing by a few of her fellow tenants.

"Guten tag, Ms. Roth!"

"Good morning, Rae."

"Hey there, Rae! Wanna go for a drink later?"

Rae laughed. "I told you Adrian, I don't drink."

"Cards then, maybe? Deiter, Jim, and I are gonna play a bit o' poker."

"Yes, Ms. Roth," said the German man. "It vill be much fun!"

"Yeah," agreed Jim. "Especially when I win..."

Rae smiled a bit. "Maybe…I'll see you later, I'm gonna be late."

Rae dashed down the streets, and by the time she reached Main Street, she realized she had made up enough time to walk the rest of the way to the bus stop. She slowed her pace to a walk, and admired the hustle and bustle of the early morning rush: People going off to work, taking their kids to school, maybe even just going out to enjoy their day off. She paused, and looked far off into the horizon, to the river. Where _it _stood.

Titan's Tower. 'I can't believe it's still standing,' she thought. After the Teen Titans disbanded ten years ago, no one had the heart to tear it down. So the city simply left it there, as sort of a memorial to the heroes that had protected their city. No one knew where the Titans were now. No one except Rae Roth, Dick Grayson, Gar Logan, Vic Stone, and Star Anderson.

And they weren't telling.

Rae shook her head a few times. 'You can feel nostalgic later. Miss the bus and you're dead.' So she took off, praying that she would make it. Her boss, the editor-in-chief of the _Jump City Herald_, was _not_ a patient man.

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Gar Logan grinned. This was great. He had a week before his next show, and it was a local one. He would be doing several others just like it before going on tour again. 'I love comedy…' he thought. He sat back in his "La-Z-Boy" recliner, closing his eyes. He had everything he wanted. Everything. All of his dreams had more or less come true: Was he one of the country's richest stand-up comedians? Yes. Did he have a deluxe apartment in the heart of the city? Yes. Were women almost thrown at him wherever he went? A _big_ yes. Sure, girls had been a problem for him before, but now? Guys begged him on their hands and knees to teach them.

Life was good.

But for some reason, Gar was troubled. He didn't feel content at the moment, and that was annoying him. While trying to pin down the reason, he finally concluded that he was simply bored. 'Hmm…' he thought. 'What is there to do?' He decided he would go pick up a newspaper. Yes, that would certainly cure his boredom. So he got on a jacket, and stepped out into the chilly October air. He went up to a newsstand and bought a paper.

"Hey, aren't you that comedian?" asked the man at the stand.

Gar grinned. He got this all the time. "Why yes, I am," he replied in a nonchalant tone.

"Nice to meet you."

"You too. Seeya."

"Bye."

He walked over to a bench and sat down. He was about to look at the front page article when the t-shaped tower in the distance caught his eye. He gazed at it for a few minutes, letting his mind wander. Then he managed to tear his eyes away from it, going back to his paper. 'What's past is past,' he thought.

How wrong he was.

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"Mr. Grayson! I've got the report!"

"That's excellent, Joe. And how many times have I asked you to call me Dick?"

"Sorry Dick. I only just got promoted. I'm not used to thinking of you as anything but my employer yet."

Dick laughed. "That's fine. What's the report say?"

"Our sales are up by five percent!"

"Excellent!"

"Yep."

The secretary burst in rather suddenly.

"Mr. Dobson, you have an urgent call on line two."

"Thanks Tracy. See you around, Dick."

Dick waved. "Seeya."

As they left, Dick sighed. He knew he _should_ call up Bruce and give him the figures right away, but he just didn't feel like it. He yawned. He was exhausted, as usual. 'Can't help that, it's your own fault,' he thought. He looked out the window. He wished he could see Jump City, but there were too many skyscrapers in the way. He sighed. 'I wonder if the rest of them can still see it,' he thought. Obviously Star wouldn't be able to; she lived in Gotham City, like him. But the others…

Maybe they still looked at it.

'Speaking of which,' he mused. 'I need to give Star a call. I can't keep blowing her off. But first…' He picked up the phone, and dialed the CEO's office.

"Bruce Wayne speaking."

"Hey, Bruce. It's Dick. I've got the report."

"Great. How are sales?"

"Up five percent."

"Excellent. Just send the rest up to my office."

"Sure. Um, Bruce?"

"Yes?"

'Don't be a chicken.' "Can I have a day off, say, next Sunday?"

There was a long pause.

"Sure, as long as Joe can handle things."

"I'm confident he can. That's why I promoted him, remember?"

"Yes…and Dick?"

"Yes?"

"Have a good time with Star."

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Vic Stone was very happy. He had just gotten off the phone with Carl Leever, the businessman he had been negotiating with for weeks on end. He turned to his co-workers, a grim expression on his face to contrast the hopeful ones in the room.

"Guys…" he said quietly.

Vic's friend Gus sneered. "That bastard! I _knew_ he wouldn't—"

"WE GOT THE GRANT!" Vic yelled.

"WOOHOO!" yelled Gus. "I _knew_ he would pull through!"

There was a lot of cheering, hugging, and handshakes throughout the group of scientists and technicians. They were doing some very important work on a machine that would revolutionize the manufacturing industry, and had at long last got the grant they needed to make it a reality. Vic tacked the blueprints up on the wall.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Project Cyborg!"

"Project Cyborg" was an intricate machine that was to be run by a single person, who would be hooked up to it. At first, "Cyborg" had been just a nickname, but then, as it caught on, it became the official name for the project. Vic had come up with the nickname, and whenever anyone asked how he'd been inspired, he would simply say: "It was a just a joke at first, and it made sense."

But he knew that wasn't the real reason.

'Not like it matters,' he thought. 'I just hope this works out the way we want it to.' He looked out the window at the Titan's Tower. 'I wonder if—' All of the sudden, the phone rang. Vic managed to escape the barrage of slaps on the back to get to it.

"Jump City Scientific and Technical Facilities, how may I help you on this wonderful, wonderful day?"

"Sounds like someone got their grant."

"Gar? What's up, man?"

"You get the newspaper yet?"

"Probably around here somewhere. Why?"

"Front page. Look. Now."

Vic was confused as he picked up the newspaper. "What's so special about—"

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw the headline: "Nightwing: Gotham City Menace, or Misunderstood Masquerader?" He scanned the first few paragraphs.

"Definitely weird. Even in Gotham, they usually just slander him to all hell. This is almost defending him."

"Yeah. But I think they got _his_ side of the story this time."

"Whaddya mean, '_his_ side of the story'? It's not like he'd accept an interview from a reporter."

"Not just any reporter, no. But I bet he'd take an interview from a friend."

"What?"

"Did you see who it's by?"

Vic looked, and a smile passed across his face. The by-line read: "by Raven Roth".

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"Nice job, everybody! We're gonna be _great_ next week, I guarantee it!" the director shouted.

"See you at the show, Star," said Harriet, one of the actresses. "We're gonna be awesome."

"Yes," agreed Star. "I believe it will be a most wonderful performance."

"_You're_ gonna be the best," Anton, the lead actor added. "You're one of the best actresses I've ever seen."

Star blushed. "You flatter me, but I am an amateur."

"You're also modest. I couldn't ask for a better leading lady."

Star couldn't help but blush again. She couldn't have imagined being asked to play one of the title parts in _Beauty and the Beast_. She had never played a lead part before. It was every actor and actress' big step towards true fame. Many actresses would be happy just to be in the same theater as Anton, who was quite handsome without his beast costume on.

But Star had eyes for someone else.

'Too bad he never calls me…' As if on cue, her cell phone rang. 'Damn, I love that man.' She smiled and answered.

"Star Anderson, who is very lonely and considering going single, speaking."

"I get the idea, Star. I'm sorry. Things have been very busy lately."

"Things are always busy," Star pouted. "What do you want?"

"To tell you a certain man is going to come to see _Beauty and the Beast_ on its debut night in Gotham, and he is going to take a certain lead actress out to dinner afterwards."

"Oh Dick! Really?"

"Really."

"No work?"

"Bruce let me off the leash for one night."

"You are certain you will not have to leave because of a…disturbance?"

"Bruce promised he'll take care of any." Dick laughed. "He actually said he could use the exercise, I've been taking care of most of them lately."

"Dick…you have no idea how much this means to me."

"It means a lot to me too, Star. It means a whole lot."

"Where would you like to go after dinner?"

"It's your special night, Star. Wherever you want."

Star smiled. "Have you perhaps heard of that new French restaurant? The one on Parker's Street?"

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**Blowfish: So? How'd you like it? I know _Beauty and the Beast _is a Broadway show, but I decided to use some artistic liscense. By the way, the reason I keep calling Raven "Rae" is because that's what's what everybody calls her. I had her full name in the by-line of the Nightwing report because the paper wouldn't put her nickname, would they? That just wouldn't make any sense. And yes, I decided to just call Starfire "Star", instead of Kori. I don't know why, but I just didn't want to call her Kori. Eh. Anyway, tell me what you think. I know it may seem boring right now, but this was just the introduction. Please review! I don't care if you flame me, just put something! The next chapter will probably be up soon.**


	2. Photographers, Tiarets, and Comedians

**Blowfish: Bet you weren't expecting to hear from me again so soon, eh? Well, I had this other chapter inside my head, and—**

**Link: Blowfish the Monkey Tamer?**

**Blowfish: Link! What the hell are you doing here?**

**Link: You need to update your Zelda karaoke fanfiction.**

**Blowfish: Can we do this later? I'm trying to do an author's note here…**

**Link: OK, but don't say I didn't warn you. The X-Men are going to be here soon too.**

**Blowfish: Just leave right now, OK? I'll get to it!**

**Link: (grumbles and walks away)**

**Blowfish: Sorry about that. Anyway, review responses! I, for ****one am**** surprised. It took me a much longer time to get four reviews for my other fanfictions. (OK, not _that_ long…)**

**lil LIK Star: Thanks! I really do think Robin and Starfire belong together, and it seemed to make sense that they would be dating.**

**Ellen uur: Thank you as well! I'm glad you agree with me on the "Star vs. Kori" thing. (I was afraid comic fans would flame me for it!)**

**WolfPack4: There might be a little angst here and there, but not much. I did some research before writing this (I never actually read the comics), and ****Garfield ****Logan**** was BB's name in the comics, and everybody called him "Gar" for short.**

**Darby: Thanks, I was hoping people would like the way I did it. I thought the jobs made sense for the most part. (Except Star as an actress O.O; I'm not sure where I got that from.)**

**Bowling-For-Neon-Salmon: Thanks very much! You have a cool name.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. If I did, Cyborg would be a lot cooler.**

**"talking" 'thinking' #%scene change#%**

**Blowfish: All right, here's the next installment of "Heroes"!**

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Rae walked into the bustling office of Warren Connery, the editor-in-chief of the _Jump City Herald_. She was hoping just to drop off her article and get her money for the last one she had written. Alas, that would not be the case. She slipped in quietly, hoping to simply do it fast enough that he wouldn't ask—

"Roth!"

'Shit.' "Yes sir?"

"What the hell was that article on Nightwing you turned in the other day?"

"Well, I thought the public deserved a second—"

"He's a menace. But good job anyway. As long as it sells papers, I won't fire you." He handed over her money.

"Errr…thank you?"

At that point, a skinny boy who looked no older than 18 or 19 stepped into the room, looking rather nervous. He had auburn hair, brown eyes, and rather crooked glasses that had tape holding them together.

"Who the hell are you?" Connery spat.

"I-I'm the n-new photographer," the boy said, shaking. Then, he seemed to gather his courage. "The lady downstairs said I needed to come up here to see you."

"Oh yeah, I remember something about a new photographer. Suppose you need to know what to take pictures of… Roth!"

Rae jumped. She had been trying to sneak out, to avoid the situation she knew had been coming. She sighed. "Yes sir?"

"Has Harold got pictures for your new article yet?"

She sighed again. "No, he's working with Larry right now."

"Well…errr…what's your name, kid?

"Terry Quinn."

"Well, Tommy, Ms. Roth here is gonna be showing you the ropes, and you're gonna get her pictures for her article."

"But—" Rae protested.

"No buts, Roth. You don't have pictures, and I'm not gonna baby-sit this kid. Go. Now. Buy the kid some coffee or something, just go away; you're both giving me a headache."

Rae couldn't believe this. She came in to collect her money, and got stuck with some newbie photographer.

"Uh…Ms. Roth?"

"Call me Rae."

"Rae…I'm really sorry you got landed with me. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." He kept his eyes glued to the floor the entire time he said this.

Rae suddenly felt a wave of pity for the young man. She knew what it was like to feel unwanted. She smiled at him.

"Nah, it's no trouble…I'm just not a morning person. And don't worry about Connery…he's a jerk, but you'll get used to it."

"You actually can say that? The guy's your boss, he could fire you!"

"Ahh, everybody around here says it. The trick is not letting him find out."

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Rae and Terry sat in the crowded café next door to the building where they worked.

"So," said Terry. "What's your article abou…" His sentence ended, and a look of pure shock and awe spread across his face.

"Terry?" she waved her hand in front of his face. "What's up with you?"

"S-Star…"

"What?"

"The l-leading lady in th-that play…"

"OK, you've lost me." At this point, Rae noticed everybody else in the café was also staring in the same direction. Rae turned to find Star Anderson standing in the doorway, apparently looking for somebody.

"Oh my god…" Terry whispered. "It's that actress from the paper…there was an article on her—_what the hell are you doing?!_" he said as Rae waved, beckoning Star in their direction.

Star spotted them and smiled. She ran over and caught Rae in a death-lock of a hug.

"Rae! It is wonderful to see you again! It has been so long since—"

"Air, Star! I need air!" Rae choked out. Star blushed and let go of her friend.

"I apologize, Rae. I simply was quite excited to see you. How long has it been? Two years?"

"I'd say that's about right."

Terry was in a complete state of shock. Rae, a seemingly plain journalist was friends with a leading actress. A _newspaper-worthy_ leading actress!

"This is unacceptable! We must have some time to 'catch up'! I will not grow apart from my _tiaret_!" Star cried.

Terry raised an eyebrow. "_Tiaret_? What's that?"

Rae looked a bit embarrassed. "It's complicated…"

Star cut in. "A _tiaret_ is a friend that you feel close to in a way such as you would feel toward a brother or sister. When you wished to be recognized as a brother or sister in this way in my country, you perform a ritual that must also consist of at least two witnesses, usually family members or close friends."

"So…you two are kind of like sisters?" Terry asked.

Rae nodded. "That's the general idea."

"Wow…your country must be a very happy place; where are you from?"

"Tamaran." Star replied.

"I've…never heard of that country before."

"It's quite secluded; a small island in the Pacific Ocean," she lied.

"Ah. So do many of your people have _tiarets_?"

"Some. It is a deeply personal thing."

"Do you have any real siblings?"

"A sister…but she and I do not…get along very well. I have not seen her in quite some time."

"Oh. That's too bad."

"Yes," Star said sadly. "Quite regrettable."

"Is she back in Tamaran?"

"Yes." Star hated lying, but she'd rather not think about where her sister _really_ was. Rae saw this, and decided to change the subject.

"So, how are things with Dick going?" she asked.

"Well…he wishes to take me out to dinner after the performance next Sunday."

"That's great! Where are you—"

"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA! Stop for a second! Do you mean Dick _Grayson_?" Terry asked, looking flabbergasted.

"Yeah."

"'Corporate-manager-at-Wayne-Enterprises' Dick Grayson?!"

"Bingo."

"Holy crap…"

"What?"

"Well…it's just that…_Damn_, you've got friends in high places!"

Rae laughed. "I guess I do."

Star stood up. "I must go now, but do you wish to 'catch up' more some other time? Perhaps…Tuesday?"

Rae smiled. "Tuesday would be wonderful." Star gave her another hug.

"I shall see you then, Rae!" she said, exiting the café.

"Wow…" said Terry. "I just got to meet Star Anderson! I can't wait to tell my mom!" He reddened slightly at his own words.

"Yeah," Rae laughed. "So, back to the article…"

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Gar was very tense. There had been a change of plans, and his big opening show was tonight, instead of a week from now. A lot of important people would be there.

"Damn it to hell," he muttered.

Despite his nervousness, he smiled. He was famous. Even in his youth, he had always attempted to steal the spotlight. And now, finally, he had it. He sighed. 'I can't be serious today! I'm a comedian!' he thought. He paused for a while, and then something hit him. 'Oh my god! I forgot to invite her!'

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Gar yelled, running to the phone. He was about to dial her home phone, but then realized she was probably working. So he dialed her cell phone instead.

It rang a few times before he heard a voice on the other end.

"Rae Roth speaking."

"Rae! It's Gar!"

"Gar? Hey, how are you? It's been a while."

"Yeah…hey, I've got a local show tonight. I was just wondering…"

"Gar, I don't have a ticket. Nor do I probably have the money for one."

"I could get you in for free."

"I couldn't…that'd be taking money right out of your pocket."

Gar paused. He really wanted her to see him. No, that wasn't right. He wanted to see _her_.

"Rae, I've got enough money. A little cash out of hundreds of dollars would be no problem. Really."

"…Are you sure?"

"Positive. Besides, like you said, it's been a while."

"All right. I'll be there."

"Thanks so much, Rae!" he practically yelled before he could stop himself.

"Errr…your welcome?"

Gar chuckled nervously. "Sorry. I just wanted everyone to be there."

"The others are coming?"

"Yep."

"Are _they_ paying?"

"Errr…Dick is. But you know him. Won't take charity from anyone."

"Yeah. Well, see you then."

"Bye."

Gar hung up. He suddenly let out the breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. He was happy that everyone was coming, but he was still incredibly tense. 'No,' he thought. 'It's nothing. You do _not_ feel that way, you can't…' But if he didn't "feel that way", why did his stomach flip every time he talked to Rae?

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Vic made his way through the crowded comedy club, trying to find his table. He finally spotted a hand waving at him. He went to the table, and greeted Dick and Star.

"Hey guys. Where's Rae?"

"Dunno, but Gar said she would be here," said Dick.

"She will certainly show up soon," said Star cheerfully. "Do you wish to take a seat?"

"Yes, thanks," said Vic, sitting down. "Nice table. Great view of the stage."

"Those tickets were overpriced," grumbled Dick.

"You should've had Gar pay for you like us. You need to accept people's charity more."

Dick grumbled more, muttering things under his breath. Vic just laughed. A dark figure came up behind him and tapped his shoulder, making him jump.

"Guess who."

"Rae! Hey, how ya been?" asked Vic, hugging her.

"Fine. Did you get your grant?"

"Yep. Project Cyborg is set to go."

"Great."

Suddenly, the lights dimmed. Rae sat down as the stage lights came on, including a large neon green sign that read, "Gar Logan". At that moment, Gar walked out, running his fingers through his blond hair. He grabbed the microphone and waved to the audience with a toothy grin.

"Hey, everybody. Nice to be back here, alma mater, ya know?"

The crowd cheered.

"Thank you, thank you. Anyway, yeah, I came back here for the show. I even invited my old college roomies, the ones I'm always talkin' about," he said, winking in the direction of his friend's table. "I remember this one time, my buddy Vic made what must've been, I dunno, two metric tons of bacon, and I made about, I dunno, _five_ metric tons of tofu."

Everybody laughed. "I remember that," chuckled Vic.

"So Rae, Star, and Dick come in, and you should've seen the looks on their faces. Man, Star sat down willingly, but we had to tie down Dick and Rae. They were terrified. So Vic and I ask, 'Which do you wanna eat?', and they're freakin' out. I remember Rae saying, 'And if we don't want either?', and Vic said, 'C'mon, it's not like there's anything else', and they stare at us. About this time, they all realize we've chucked all the other food, including Rae's tea. Big mistake. She went ballistic. Kicked the crap outta both of us, I kid you not. Two guys, one 4'11", the other 6'0", and a 5'1" girl kicks the crap outta the both of us. And it was _scary_, man!"

By now, people were laughing hysterically, except Rae, who was looking a bit miffed. "He should've known better than to throw out my tea," she muttered.

"Oh come on, Rae, you _did_ kick the crap outta us," Vic said.

"And if you think _our_ cooking sounds scary, you should've seen the stuff Star concocted," continued Gar.

Star blushed.

"Some of it was good, but man, when it wasn't, whoo!" he said, holding his nose. Star's face became a much deeper shade of red. "Actually, it suited some people's tastes just fine. I remember going out with this girl…" he paused, his eyes glazing over. He hadn't thought about her in a long time. Vic noticed that Rae was sinking deeper into her seat, looking very uncomfortable at the mention of Gar's "college" girlfriend. Gar bounced back quickly. "I went out with this girl, Tara. She was over in our dorm this one time, emptying out our fridge." A ripple of chuckles went through the crowd. "Yeah, I know. Usually the other way around, right? Anyway, Star made this stuff from her country called 'Glorp'. Before any of us could stop her, Tara swallowed it all in one gulp. She said, 'Tastes like sushi mixed with ice cream. Is there more?', and then Star said, 'I shall go cultivate the fungus!'." The crowd went wild. Gar pulled on the collar of his shirt, looking very relieved.

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The rest of the show went without any further uncertainties. At the end of it, Gar's friends were waiting outside for him.

Vic slapped him on the back. "Great show, man."

"Thanks. Hope I didn't offend any of you guys."

"It was all in good fun," said Star. "We knew that you were most likely to talk about our 'college days'." Gar nodded, and turned to Rae, who hadn't really said anything.

"Did you like it, Rae?" he asked, trying to act casual.

"Yeah," she said, smiling. "You've gotten a lot funnier since then." Gar grinned.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Gar said.

"Forgot what?" Dick asked.

"You know how I was supposed to go on tour again in a few weeks? There was a change in plans."

"You mean the same kind of change that moved the show to tonight? You almost gave me a heart attack, it's just lucky I didn't have to work right now," said Dick.

"Well, I'm actually not leaving on tour for a while. I'm taking my vacation early."

They were all a bit stunned. "Your manager doesn't mind?"

"Nah, as long as we rake in enough cash here, he doesn't really care."

"Oh. That's good. Maybe we could do something."

"Sounds good," Gar said. Vic looked at his watch.

"Crap! I gotta go feed Sparky."

Gar raised an eyebrow. "You have a dog?"

Vic glared at him. "Yes, I do, and I gotta go feed him. See y'all later." He zipped up his jacket and left.

"I should go back and pick up those papers at the office," Dick said.

"And I must review my lines," Star chimed in.

"Goodbye," they both said at once. They went their separate ways, leaving Gar and Rae quite alone.

"Well," said Rae, shifting nervously. 'What's wrong with me?!' "I gotta go. Poker with Adrian and the guys."

"Oh…OK," Gar said, looking a bit sad. Then, his face brightened. "Do you need someone to, say, walk you home?"

Rae looked surprised. "Errr, no, it's only a few blocks."

"Nonsense, mademoiselle," said Gar, turning on the charm. "I cannot let such a beautiful lady walk home without an escort."

Rae's face went from its usual paleness to a vibrant shade of red. "I…I…I…"

"Come on," he said, smiling. "Please?"

"…OK, I guess." Was he hitting on her?

They walked quietly down the bustling, moonlit streets. Gar seemed comfortable, but Rae was sweating bullets. Guys _never_ hit on her, or offered to walk her home. 'And this isn't even some random guy. This is Gar! We're friends, for God's sake,' she thought. 'This is crazy! Is he actually attracted to me, or is he just goofing off like usual?'

They arrived at her apartment building. Rae thought Gar would leave then, but he asked if he could take her inside. Incapable of speech at this point, she could only nod stupidly. Her brain was completely shut off, and she had forgotton all about poker. As they made it up the stairs, Adrian, Jim, and Deiter spotted them. Jim and Adrian looked ready to dish out the catcalls, but Deiter, ever the romantic, covered both of their mouths. When the pair passed, he let go. Jim was quite ruffled.

"What the hell was that for, man? Rae finally brings in a guy, and we don't even get to say anything about it?" Adrian nodded in agreement. Deiter simply shook his head and smiled.

"Have you ever been in love, mein freunds?" he asked. Both of them shook their heads. Attraction, maybe, but never anything one could call love. "Then you vould not understand."

"Who said they were in love? We could be wrong. They might just be friends," Adrian pointed out.

Deiter laughed. "Ahh, but did you see zee look in zeir eyes? Love, if I ever saw it."

Adrian paused. "Hey, wait a sec! How would _you_ know unless—HO HO! Someone's got it _bad!_"

As his friends laughed, Deiter blushed rather deeply.

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Meanwhile, on the floor above, Gar and Rae had reached their destination. The hallway was completely empty, except for them.

"Errr…guess we're here," said Gar.

"Yeah…" Rae replied, avoiding his eyes. Finally, she made herself look at him. She knew this was how Gar looked to everybody else: blond hair, healthy pink skin, green eyes; but she longed to look at him and see the person she knew. "Gar…could you…show me 'you'? I haven't seen the real you in a long time."

Gar recoiled slightly at the request. 'The hallway's empty,' he berated himself. 'And Rae wants you to…' He took out a small device that resembled a microphone and pressed the button on the top of it. The image disappeared, leaving only one color in its place.

Green.

Green hair, green skin, the only thing that stayed the same were his green eyes. Rae smiled, putting a hand up to his face.

"Much better," she whispered, giving him a peck on the lips and going inside her apartment, leaving a rather stunned man outside her door. He put his hand to his lips.

"Wow…"

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**Blowfish: Long chapter, eh? I didn't realize it was going to be quite that long, but what the hell. A bit of a treat for all you BBRae fans out there, I hope. I'm sorry if that was boring, it'll get more interesting next chapter or the one after, I promise! That'll be when the real plot starts. That's it for now, though, because—**

**Rogue: Blowfish the Monkey Tamer?**

**Blowfish: Crap.**

**Rogue: You need to update your X-Men: Evolution spoof.**

**Blowfish: I'M GETTING TO IT, OKAY?! Can't you find something else to do?**

**Rogue: NO! We're bored, and Kurt's eating all the snacks!**

**Blowfish: Damn that fuzzy elf. Anyway, I'll update as soon as po—**

**Rogue: Ahem!**

**Blowfish: …I update my other fics. Seeya!**


	3. Memories

**Blowfish: Hey everybody! I know I said I wouldn't update for a while, but I'm going crazy with ideas for this story, and I can't focus on anything else!**

**(Link and Rogue are bound and gagged in the corner after countless attempts to get Blowfish to update her other fics.)**

**Blowfish: Yeah…anyway, I got excellent, idea-generating reviews!**

**byebyebb18: Yeah, the hologram thingy does hide his cute ears (lol). Raven wasn't famous, because fame and fortune doesn't seem to suit her. (Technically, Vic Cyborg isn't that famous in this story either.) And what Rae's friends meant was, since Deiter seemed to know about love, he must be in love too.**

**Ellen uur: Thanks, it would suck if you didn't…err…die happy. And Star and Dick's date is going to be romantic and fluffy. Yay!**

**Kit Kat: Heh heh, these are my fav pairings too (obviously). Thanks, I did this because I always did wonder where the Titans would be if they were normal. You were probably the most influential reviewer so far. The fact is, I hadn't thought that much about the actual break-up, but you made me come up with a reason (which I hope you like). As for Terry, you will see more of him, and he will play a somewhat-important role in the story.**

**ThessalyD: Yes, future fics are fun, aren't they? And I am having a lot of fun writing this.**

**LordoftheBloodyHand: THANK YOU!**

**Exiled-Knight: Thanks for popping in on this fic; I'm glad you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. If I did, Terra would get the hell away from Beast Boy.**

**"talking" 'thinking' FLASH: change of scene or time in flashback**

**Warning: This chapter contains more swearing than usual, so if a few four letter words offend you, skip over the flashback. Of course, if you do that, you'll miss the whole reason this story is happening, so I would advise just leaving if use of the f-word offends you.**

**(Note: The first and second chapters took place on Saturday. The following takes place on Monday.)**

**Blowfish: In this chapter, some interesting (I hope) things will be revealed! So read on!**

* * *

Vic was lying in his bed in his apartment. He had given up on sleep hours ago, and he had resided to the fact that he would just have to deal with tomorrow's activities on zero hours of sleep.

'You mean _today's_ activities,' he thought, looking at the clock, which read 2:07. He sighed and turned over again. He tried to clear his thoughts, but memories flooded the room.

(Flashback--A/N: nn; I feel so stupid, just putting this here.)

_The Titans were stunned. They walked into the tower silently. Starfire looked as if she was about to say something, but Robin turned and walked to his room, unable to endure any kind, reassuring words she might have for him. Raven also retired to her room, leaving the three other Titans alone. Beast Boy just sat on the couch, and in a moment, Cyborg joined him. Starfire just hovered in the air, staring in the direction in which Robin and Raven had gone. Cyborg expected her to comfort them, to utter half-truths in an attempt to soothe their guilt. But she didn't. She had no more words._

_"It's all my fault," whispered Beast Boy. "If I hadn't been so focused on looking cool, being such an egotist—"_

_"No," said Cyborg. "It's not your fault. It's not."_

_There was a brief silence._

_"How could this happen?" the green changeling said, his voice still barely audible. "Why couldn't we stop it? Were we lazy? Were we stupid? Overconfident? Unlucky?"_

_Cyborg looked at his friend, who was pitifully trying to grasp the situation. He could feel the guilt rising in himself, as well. He was too busy fighting the monster. Too busy to see the boy fall off the bridge. Too late to help Robin try to save him. Too late. He buried his head in his hands._

FLASH!

_The paper smacked down on the table, Cyborg finding the headline too painful to look at: "Teen Titans Fail to Save Civilian Child: Child Falls to Death Off __North__Bridge__". He knew they would report it, but it still hurt. He looked around. Robin was still in his room. Raven was supposedly meditating on the roof, according to Beast Boy, who was quietly munching on his tofu. Starfire was staring into space at the table, not bothering to eat. Suddenly, she turned to him._

_"Cyborg…we have failed in our duties, have we not?"_

_"…Yes. Yes, Star, we have."_

_"Are we going to continue in our protection of the city?" she asked, looking like a child who was asking a parent for protection against monsters._

_"Yes, we are. I'm sure of it," Cyborg said. Beast Boy snorted from the far side of the table._

_"Yeah…if our other two 'friends' turn up anytime soon."_

_"Cut it out, man. They just have different ways of dealing with stuff than us. Just give Raven some space, and Robin…" his voice trailed off. He didn't know if Robin would be OK at all._

FLASH!

_Things hadn't been going so well since "The Bridge Incident", as everyone now referred to it. The Titans were not fighting crime as well due to tension within the team, and on top of that, the press was crucifying them. At the tower, things were a living hell. Robin wasn't leading the team very well, but he refused to give up the position. That particular afternoon, Beast Boy had had enough._

_"COME ON, DUDE! YOU CAN'T COORDINATE US WORTH CRAP, AND YOU WON'T LET ANYONE HELP YOU!" he yelled._

_"WHY DON'T YOU TRY BEING LEADER, YOU POMPOUS LITTLE ELF! I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN ENSURE WE DON'T MAKE ANY MORE MISTAKES!" Robin retorted._

_"MISTAKES?! WE'RE MAKING MORE MISTAKES THAN EVER! YOU CAN'T MAKE DECISIONS QUICKLY, AND IT'S RUNNING US INTO THE GROUND! YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY _TERRIBLE _AT LEADING US, BECAUSE YOU WON'T LET GO OF YOUR GODDAMN GUILT FOR TWO FRICKIN' SECONDS!!!"_

_"WELL FINE! WE DON'T NEED YOU AND YOUR COCKY BADASS ATTITUDE ON THIS TEAM ANYWAY!!!" Robin stopped. He couldn't believe what he had just said. Beast Boy had a hurt look in his eyes, and the other Titans were in a shocked silence._

_"Fine," Beast Boy said. "I'll leave then. Fuck you." With that, he turned and went to his room._

_The rest of the night, all of the Titans except Robin tried to stop him from leaving._

_"BB, you can't just leave! We need you!" said Cyborg._

_"Friend Beast Boy, we wish for you to stay! I am sure Robin did not mean what he said," added Starfire._

_"Beast Boy…" said Raven, tripping over her words. "Please. Don't. I don't want…you can't…" He turned to all of them, bags in hand._

_"I can. Rob's right. You guys don't need me." Cyborg grabbed his shoulder. He knew there was nothing he could do to convince his friend to stay._

_"Here. Take this," he said, handing him a small device. "It'll help you out later."_

_Beast Boy nodded. "Thanks. Goodbye." He walked away, leaving his friends on the shore. Starfire slowly made her way back into the tower, looking as if on the verge of tears. Cyborg also turned to leave, but not before hearing Raven finally finish her sentence._

_"Don't go…"_

FLASH!

_"Raven! You cannot leave, _tiaret!_" cried Starfire, tugging on Raven's arm._

_"Star…please…let go…don't make this harder than it already is," Raven said, struggling to break free from her friend's grip. She laid her hands on Starfire's shoulders. "I will always be your _tiaret,_ but I can't stay."_

_Cyborg stood off to the side. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. It would be him, Star, and Robin, from now on. He knew it was probably worse for Starfire. Raven was her _tiaret._ For her, this was the equivalent of losing her sister._

_"Rae…" he whispered._

_"Bye," she said, before turning her back and leaving._

FLASH!

_"Cyborg," Starfire said quietly. "I believe Robin will be angry with us for leaving."_

_"Yeah," the metal man admitted. "But he didn't try to stop Rae or BB, so why should he stop us?" This only served to depress Starfire even more. Just then, Robin sauntered into the room._

_"What are you guys doing with those bags?" he asked quietly._

_"Robin…" Cyborg said. "We can't stay like this. Star and I stayed here because we didn't want to leave you, but this is too much. The media is killing us, we can't even fight anymore, and you don't even come out of your room. Whether we like it or not, the Teen Titans are finished. We just want to go while we still can. We'd really like it if you'd come with us…"_

_Robin was just standing there, stunned. "How can you just give up like this? Are you just gonna leave me? Come on, Cy. You're my friend, you can't do this!"_

_"Why didn't you try to stop Rae or BB like this?" Robin was silent. "You realize why they left? 'Cause we're fucked. FUBAR, Robin. Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition. They didn't wanna stay and watch our lives flush down the damn toilet! Actually, that was mostly BB's reason. Raven…I dunno what was with her; I just don't think she could stand things without him around. I just can't stand it, just not doing anything anymore. We aren't doing what we used to. And I'm not gonna just let Star stay here and rot with you."_

_There was a long silence after Cyborg's speech, except for the occasional sniffles from Starfire, who was crying. She couldn't stand this. She was about to simply turn and leave, when there was a small sound. A voice._

_"You're…right…" Robin whispered. "But…where do we go from here?"_

_Cyborg smiled, for the first time in a while. "We'll figure it out, Rob. We'll figure it out."_

FLASH!

_It had been three years since the Titans had completely disbanded. Starfire, Robin, and Cyborg had resurfaced as Star Anderson, Dick Grayson, and Vic Stone. Star, Dick and Vic were walking down the busy streets of __Jump__City__, heading towards the place where Vic was going to be working._

_"I can't wait to show you guys," Vic said. "I think this is it. I have found my calling, and it's __Jump__City__ Scientific and Technical Facilities!" The other two laughed at his enthusiasm. They all were still studying, but Dick and Vic already had jobs lined up. Star had an ambition of her own: she was in school to become an actress, and it was going well so far. She hadn't landed a part yet, but she was looking forward to auditioning for next week._

_Vic was very excited he was able to get a normal job. He used a hologram-producing device to conceal his true appearance; the same kind he had given to Beast Boy. Dick's hair was getting longer, and though many people said he should cut it, he never did. Vic was sure this was because Star thought it was handsome. Star's eyes were still green all the way through, but no one seemed to notice or care, being too distracted by her obvious beauty; but Dick never let anyone else near her. Take right now, for example, while they stood gazing through a shop window at an antique of some sort. Dick was holding her hand the entire time. Vic often wondered why he didn't ask her out, since he was obviously madly in love with her._

_Vic thoughts came to a screeching halt as he looked across the street. Standing there was a tall, thin girl, probably around Dick's age. She had dark hair, pale skin, and was wearing a blue t-shirt and a pair of black pants. He was staring straight at her, agape, but she was too absorbed in her notepad to notice. She walked towards them, keeping a brisk, somewhat urgent pace; that is, until, she collided with Vic._

_"Sorry, I—Cy?" Even with the hologram, he still resembled Cyborg, more or less. She was staring at him now, her violet eyes wide and shocked._

_He smiled. "I go by Vic now. You?"_

_"Rae," she said, before wrapping her arms around her old friend. Star and Dick came over to see what was going on._

_"Hey Vic, what—Raven?" Dick was dumbfounded, and he soon also found himself locked in a hug. Star didn't even give Rae the chance before flinging her arms around her. Rae quickly began to explain where she had been, how she could control her emotions and her powers, and what she had been up to._

FLASH!

_Five years after that, had Dick and Star begun dating, Rae had gotten her own apartment, and Vic was becoming a respected technician. Only one thing was missing. And to their surprise, they found that one thing asleep on a park bench._

_They had gone out to the park, to catch up on things. Though they didn't live far away from each other, only Dick and Star really actually saw or heard from each other that much. Otherwise, it was a loose phone call here and there. Rae noticed a sleeping man on the bench, and went over to him._

_'He looks familiar…' she thought. He had blond hair, and was generally skinny. He might've been about a year younger than her. All of the sudden, he snorted very loudly, surprising Rae so much, she actually fell down. He woke up, rubbed his eyes, and stretched. Then his eyes met hers._

_"Rae?"_

_Rae was shocked. It was him. They fell into each other's arms, both blurting out their own story at once._

_"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down there, you two," said a voice from behind them. Vic smiled down at them. "Hey, man. What's up?"_

_Beast Boy, now known as Gar __Logan__, burst out laughing. He hadn't laughed that hard in a long, long time._

(End Flashback--A/N: Do I really need to say it? By the way, sorry for using the f-word so many times.)

Vic smiled, and turned over again. There were a lot of good memories to outweigh the bad ones. He stared down at his metal hands. He was glad he could be himself, if only at home. He closed his eyes, letting his thoughts wash over him. 'Well, leave that stuff for tomorrow…you gotta get some sleep.'

* * *

'Ugh…Mondays…I…hate…Mondays…' thought Rae, rolling out of bed. She really wasn't in the mood to go to work, but that was the way things went. She left her apartment and went downstairs, hoping to sneak past Adrian and the others. No such luck.

"Hey Rae, why didn't you tell us you were dating?" Adrian asked casually, while Jim was stifling his giggles. Rae sighed. This time, Deiter wasn't around to save her.

"I'm not dating him. He's an old friend who offered to walk me home."

Jim snickered. "Well, you guys were pretty close for a couple of _friends_."

Rae scowled, feeling her face turn red. "I'm not…that isn't…"

Another tenant, Lucy, came strolling in. "I was watching too. Nice job. He's quite the looker."

Rae wasn't red anymore, but a deep shade of scarlet. 'At least no one saw us upstairs. Then we'd be in _serious_ trouble.' "I gotta go to work, guys. Sorry I missed the poker last night, by the way."

"Heh heh, don't worry about it," Adrian said, grinning like Cheshire cat. "I'm sure you found _other_ things to entertain yourself with." Following this statement, a rather large potted plant hit him in the face, knocking him over.

"_Goodbye_, Adrian."

"Roth!" Rae banged her head against the wall. 'Why me?!' She turned to Connery.

"Yes, Mr. Connery?"

"Don't get smart with me. Bruce Wayne is having a huge social raising money for charity Wednesday night, and I want you to cover it."

"But sir, that's grunt work—"

"I'll give you grunt work, Roth! Either you take this story, or the one on our sewer systems!"

Rae sighed. She was honestly considering the sewers, but she gave in. She just wished she had something more interesting to cover. She had better things to do than hang around a bunch of tightwads all night.

"Oh yeah, and you're taking Teddy with you."

"Who?"

"The new kid. The photographer, remember? You hung out with the little twerp all day the other day!"

"You mean Terry?"

"Of course I mean Terry! Who else?"

"You said Teddy."

"Don't argue with me, Roth. I have enough crap on my plate without you being stubborn."

Rae sighed again. "Yes sir." She walked out of the office, running straight into Terry.

"Hey, Rae!" She grabbed his arm, dragging him out the door.

"C'mon, newbie, we've got work to do."

* * *

Gar sat in a McDonald's, munching on his Veggie Big Mac (A/N: It's 10 years in the future, anything's possible), trying to figure things out. 'So, she likes me. Loves me, maybe? Nah…but then again…ARGH! This is so frustrating!' He was playing with his fries, when he got and idea. A lady around his age was sitting at the next table, enjoying her salad alone. Gar tapped her on the back. She turned around.

"Hey, aren't you that comedian?"

"Yeah, I am. I know we've never met or anything, but could you give me some advice? I've heard women are better at this sort of thing."

"Okay…shoot."

He picked up a fry and pulled out one of the tomatoes from his burger. "Okay…say this fry is a real ladies' man, you know?"

"Okay…"

"Just go with me, here. Now let's say, this fry has a great bunch of friends he hasn't seen in, say, two years."

"Gotcha."

"Well, this fry's friends, including this tomato, have come to see him. And he, you know, offers to take the tomato home."

"…"

"Not like that! Damn, get your mind out of the gutter!"

"Sorry. Anyway, go on. The fry was making a move on the tomato…"

"Well, that's the thing. The fry wasn't sure whether he was trying to make a move, or be friendly. And this might've confused the tomato, because when they got there, she kisses the fry."

"Ohhh, I see."

"Yeah. And now the fry is really, really confused."

"Well, does the fry like the tomato? As more than a friend, I mean."

"That's the problem. He's not sure. He did at one point, but he hasn't seen her in such a long time before the two years, he's not sure what to think anymore. And on top of that, the tomato's different now."

"Different how?"

"Well, she _never_ would've kissed the fry back then. Not that the fry was a geek, or anything, she just wasn't the type that would…make moves like that."

"Ah. I think what the fry needs to do is figure out how he feels about the tomato before he does anything else. Then, he needs to find out how the tomato really feels about him. Everything will work itself out from there."

"Oh…okay! Thanks, lady!"

"No problem. Good luck."

"Thanks."

* * *

"But if the social is Wednesday night, why are we already starting the article?"

"Half of the article's gonna be background anyway, why not get started now?"

"You _really_ don't like the idea of going there, do you?"

"No, no I don't."

"Why not? There'll be food. Famous people. And it's all for charity, so you don't have to feel guilty about splurging!"

"I, for one, am not a party person. I don't wanna hang around a bunch of damn celebrities who act like they're better than me."

"Oh come on, it'll be fun! Besides, Wayne himself is speaking. I heard he gives great speeches. And if you're that bored, I'm sure they'll be plenty to drink."

"One: I don't drink. Two: I'm wondering why you're even thinking about it, you're 19!"

"Sorry, jeez! I was just trying to make a few suggestions!"

"Well, keep your own nose in your own damn business."

"…You do realize we're gonna have to go anyway, right?"

"…Yeah, I know."

* * *

"Leaving, Mr. Grayson? You seem like the type who spends all night at the office."

"Well, Tracy, I've gotta get some sleep sometime."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Lock up for me, will ya?"

"Of course."

Dick drove his car to his apartment building. It was quite impressive, to say the least. Let's just say this was no place for the financially challenged. He took the elevator to his apartment, which was on the top floor. It had a balcony, which he often used for stargazing. He went inside, tossed down his briefcase, and sat down for a few minutes, and undid his ponytail, letting his long, black hair fall down. Then, he got up, and went to his room. He opened his wardrobe, which held all of his suits and coats.

He pushed them aside, revealing a black spandex suit with a blue bird emblazoned on the front. He put it on, and then slipped into the matching black boots that were on the floor next to it. He put on a pair of long, black gloves that blended right in with the suit. He also put on a utility belt. Lastly, he slipped a mask over his blue eyes, and looked in the mirror. 'Here we go again,' he thought. And with that, he jumped out the window and into the night.

* * *

**Blowfish: That last part sort of came from nowhere. I felt the need to focus on Nightwing a bit, just for the hell of it. And as for the social that Rae has to go to, that is actually very important. You'll see. And sorry if I weirded anyone out with the "fry and tomato" analogy. I just came up with that off the top of my head, and—**

**Link: BLOOOWFIIIISH!**

**Blowfish: Crap, they're free.**

**Rogue: You will update your Zelda and X-Men: Evolution fics NOW! (grabs Blowfish without gloves, rendering her unconscious)**

**Link: (slings authoress over his shoulder) And remember everybody:**

**Rogue and Link: REVIEW! Seeya!**

**EDIT: Heh, turns out I forgot to make BB's burger a veggie burger. Fixed it.**


	4. The Choice of a Hero

**Blowfish: I'm back…**

**Chimpy: What's with you?**

**Blowfish: MY OTHER TWO STORIES GOT PULLED!!! WAAAAHHH!!!**

**Chimpy: Really?**

**Blowfish: Yeah…they were script format, and that's against the guidelines (I forgot!). What I don't get is, while there are 20 thousand script format stories floating around, MINE got deleted. Sorry, I'm a bit mad, so I ranted to you guys and my mom. More happiness from now on! Anyway, this one is still up, so I'm not that sad. Anyway, I have reviews!**

**Exiled-Knight: Thanks, I'm glad you liked the "fry and tomato" thing. However, I don't know if you'll be seeing my Zelda fic again. Probably not.**

**WolfPack4: NO, this is a BBRae story. Besides, Terry is 19 and Rae's 26. Not happening. Terry's just supposed to be the support system/comic relief for Rae. And he is actually important, as you'll see.**

**byebyebb18: Here's the next chap, just like you wanted. This is where the real plot starts to kick in.**

**purplemusicgoddess: Definitely gonna be lots of BBRae in this chapter. I mean it. Lots and lots. Cool name, btw. (Purple is one of my fav colors!)**

**WingedUnicorn123: Yeah, that was a bit random, wasn't it? I thought BB would be the type to use that sort of analogy.**

**Kit Kat: Thanks, I thought you would like that. And you're right, Rae as a tomato was a bit weird… It's actually been ten years since the "bridge incident". It's been two years since they met up with BB as Gar. And the incident does come back to haunt them, you'll see. (Not this chap, but soon.) No one knows who the Teen Titans are now, and the others DO know that Dick is now Nightwing. I'm afraid I can't tell you what part Terry is going to play, it would give away too much. Sorry, but you don't want me to spoil it, right? And the social is VERY IMPORTANT. You'll see. And thanks, it's great to know people think I'm a great writer.**

**Blackrougefillie: Yep, the fry/tomato thing does seem like BB, doesn't it? Glad you liked the minor use of Rogue at the end. Rogue's my fav character in X-Men: Evolution. (I never actually read the comics; I'm such a hack! nn;)**

**Grumbumble: Thanks for dropping in! (I love your fic!)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans. If I did, Raven and Beast Boy would be making out right now.**

**"talking" 'thinking' %#scene change%#**

**ANGST WARNING: THE AUTHOR WAS LISTENING TO LOTS OF LINKIN PARK WHILE TYPING THIS. THIS, ALONG WITH THE ACTUAL NATURE OF THE PLOT, MADE THIS CHAPTER MORE ANGSTY. IF YOU HATE SAD, TRAGIC EVENTS ALONG WITH BATTLES OF THE HUMAN PSYCHE, GO DO SOMETHING HAPPY FOR A LITTLE WHILE. PET A KITTY. YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO. THEY'RE SO FUZZY, AND CUTE, AND…**

**AHEM.**

**ANYWAY, JUST DO SOMETHING CHEERFUL BEFORE AND AFTER READING THIS. IT'S NOT ANGSTY IN THE BEGINNING, BUT IT WILL BE LATER!**

**Blowfish: Now, the fourth (and very important) chapter of "Heroes"!**

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It was a sunny Tuesday morning in Jump City, and Rae wasn't wasting it. She had to meet Star at the old pizza place to catch up with her best friend. She reached the small restaurant by noon.

"Good morning, Rae," Star said, sitting down at one of the tables. "Please, be seated, so we may begin the sharing of news!"

Rae smiled. Even though Star had become much more experienced with Earth customs and lingo, she still remained the most literal, innocent person Rae had ever known. She sat down, and the pair ordered a plain cheese pizza; something they _never _could have done in the old days. Not with the boys.

"So," Rae said, taking the first slice. "What've you been up to? I mean, besides the whole 'stardom' thing." Star chuckled. "Met any new people?"

"Well," Star began. "I met a wonderful actress, Harriet. We became fast friends. And another actor, Anton, is also very…friendly."

"Hitting on you?"

"Yes."

"Ahhh, just tell him you're taken; you are, after all."

"I have mentioned Dick, but he seems rather undeterred."

"Idiot probably thinks you're playing hard-to-get."

"How about you? Anyone of interest?"

"Romantically? No way. Come on Star, you know me better than that."

"Yes, I do. Therefore, I know your type."

"My type? I don't _have _a type."

"You enjoy…green, perhaps?"

Rae's face grew very hot. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh come on. You were attracted to him then, and you're attracted to him now."

"Says who? And how would you know?"

"I'm dating the man of my dreams, so I would know all about it, thank you very much."

"…He walked with me the other night."

"Ohhh…how was that?"

"I don't know…I can't describe it. When I was with him, I was so excited, so flustered, so charged up, so…"

"Happy?"

"…Yeah."

Star grinned. "You're head-over-heels, my friend."

"Yeah. I guess I am."

They talked for a while longer, though considerably less animated than before. Rae was unsure of herself, and Star understood her plight. Love was a hard game to play. At about 1:30, Rae's cell phone rang.

"Rae Roth speaking."

"Look across the street," the voice said.

Rae looked across the street, and her heart did a back-flip. Gar Logan was leaning against a signpost, cell phone in hand. He waved at her.

"That little…"

"What are you waiting for?" Star asked.

"But—"

"Go ahead. We can meet again some other time."

Rae nodded, and headed across the busy street. Once she was halfway across, Gar took off in the opposite direction.

"You son of a—" Rae muttered, sprinting to catch up with him.

Gar ran into the park, Rae hot on his heels. He turned his head and stuck his tongue out at her. 'Of all the immature stunts!' Rae thought, struggling to catch up. They were getting deeper into the park when Rae got her second wind, gaining several feet, before leaping and tackling him to the ground. The both of them rolled down a hill, wrestling to stay on top of the other, and crashed at the bottom, throwing them apart. Gar sat up, rubbing his head.

"You're faster than you look. Seriously, you could go to the Olympics with speed like that. You—"

Rae got up, angry and disoriented. She stopped his words with her hand over his mouth.

"Will you _please _shut up?!" she yelled. Gar cocked an eyebrow.

"What's with you? It was all in good fun."

"Well maybe I don't like 'good fun'."

Gar was getting angry. "Well so-REE Miss Can't-Take-A-Joke. I forgot how you could be such a wet blanket."

"Wet blanket?! _You _call _me _on _my _cell phone, and then take off for a race like a stupid little jerk—oh wait, I forgot: you _are_ one!'

"Well excuuuu—"

"Oh shut up," she said, pulling him into a kiss.

Gar was surprised, to say the least. Granted, this was where he had intended to end up, but he had envisioned himself being the one to kiss _her_. 'Damn, she beat me to it again.' They stood there, kissing for a while before pulling away.

Rae was stunned at her own actions. 'What the hell are you thinking?!' she screamed inwardly. But at the same time, she was in a pure state of euphoria. All of her emotions were swirling together, and it felt good.

Gar couldn't find the words to express his feelings at this point. "Rae…"

Rae looked up at him. 'Don't just stand there, you idiot,' she thought to herself. 'Say something. Anything!'

"I love you too," she whispered.

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Rae walked into her apartment building, almost certain that she was the happiest person on Earth. Jim was standing out in the hallway, chatting with Lucy. They turned to her.

"Tell her, Rae! _Friends _was so much better than _The Simpsons_!"

"That show was pathetic, and you know it Jim," Lucy scoffed.

"Tell that to the tens of thousands of faithful viewers, right Rae?"

It was then the noticed Rae was staring straight past them, a grin plastered on her face.

"Rae? Yoo-hoo? Anybody home?" Jim waved his hand in front of her face.

Rae jumped. "What?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah…"

"Whoa…you ain't on somethin', are ya?"

"No! I just…"

Lucy leaned closer to Rae. "Your neck smells like…cologne! Oh Rae! You _are _with that guy!"

Rae blushed. "You're right," she admitted.

Jim laughed. "No way! Ha ha! Hey Adrian, looks like I owe you that twenty bucks!"

Adrian poked his head out of his door. "All riiiight! Go Rae!"

Rae's grin broadened. Why hide it?

Deiter stepped out into the hallway. "Vhat is all zee excitement about?"

"Rae's got a guy!"

"Ah! Congratulations, Ms. Roth!" he said, hugging her. "I knew it."

"Too bad you didn't bet on it," Adrian said, pocketing Jim's money.

"I just came to pick up some cash," said Rae. "I don't feel like cooking tonight."

"We'll come too," all of the others said in unison.

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Vic reclined in his chair, wondering what he should do. He had just gotten off work, and there was nothing on TV. 'I know! I'll call up Gar. That guy's always got something to say.' He picked up the phone and dialed Gar's number.

"Gar Logan. Start talking."

"Hey man. It's Vic."

"Oh…hey."

"'Oh…hey'? What's up with you?"

"Err…nothing."

"Don't gimme that crap, Gar, we've known each other for a long time."

"Okay! I kissed Rae…again."

"Again?! When the hell did this happen?"

"Today and the other night."

"Heh heh heh—"

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing man, just…it's about time."

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Rae was practically skipping down the street. 'This is, without a doubt, the best day of my life,' she thought. 'No contest.' Adrian and Jim stared at her, while Lucy and Deiter just smiled knowingly. One more block until reached the Chinese restaurant. All of them were good friends with the Changs (A/N: I know, original), the family that ran the place because they went there so often. They turned the corner, and Deiter stopped, putting his hand to his ear.

"Do you hear zat?"

Adrian paused. "Sounds like…police sirens. Ambulance sirens too. Huh. Seems so close by…" They kept walking, but stopped dead in their tracks once they reached the restaurant.

There were three police cars and an ambulance parked in front of the building. One cop was putting up crime scene tape around the front area. The other cops were questioning disoriented customers and the rather hysterical owners.

Rae, getting over the shock quickly, took a quick head count. There were only four customers. Good. Her eyes fell on the Changs. 'One…two…three…four…where's Gary?' Rae's stomach dropped into queasy hell. 'Oh my God…'

"No…" she whispered.

"What?" Jim demanded. "What's wrong?" Jim's eyes widened as it dawned on him.

"Gary's not here. Gary's missing. Where is he?!"

Rae ran up, only to be stopped by one of the cops.

"Please. I'm a friend," she explained.

The man nodded, and lifted the tape, letting her pass. She went over to the curb, where the middle child, Katie, was sitting, staring blankly ahead. Rae kneeled down to be eye level with her.

"Katie…what happened? Where's Gary?" she asked.

"We were robbed…two armed men…Gary ran after them…idiot…" she muttered.

Rae put here hands on Katie's shoulders. "Where's Gary?" she repeated.

"Dead. My brother is dead." Katie had no emotion in her voice.

Rae looked at her, feeling the pain in her stomach grow. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she whispered.

'Yes. It _is_ your fault.'

Rae used all of her will power to keep from jumping. The voice echoed in her mind, bouncing off the walls of her conscience. Who was that? It sounded so familiar, like someone she knew. It spoke in an almost creepy monotone. 'Your fault,' it said again. 'No!' she thought. 'It's not…I didn't pull the trigger. Some thug killed Gary. Not me.'

She pulled away from Katie, hands shaking. This wasn't right. She was hearing things. 'Who's there?' she thought, hoping for an answer.

'Your fault.'

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Hours later, Rae was lying in bed. The voice hadn't stopped. It was louder than ever.

'You should have been there. You could have stopped it.'

'No,' she argued. 'How could I have stopped two men with guns?'

'You could have if you weren't so selfish, _Raven._'

Rae shot up into a sitting position. 'No more games.' She got on her hands and knees and reached under her bed, feeling for something. 'Got it.' She pulled out an object she hadn't used in a while.

Her magic mirror.

She looked into it, and began to chant.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath Metrion Zinthos…" at that point, she was sucked into the mirror.

Rae landed on her butt inside her own mind. She looked around. The thing was, her life and attitude had changed dramatically in the last ten years, and so did her mindscape. It was now far less separated, and had some grass growing, even a few flowers here and there. The trees were also quite alive, as opposed to the dead stick-like figures that had dotted the area before.

Rae smiled. It had been awhile since she had felt the need to travel into her mind. She spotted a yellow-clothed figure in the distance. She ran over.

"Hello Knowledge."

The emotion snapped to attention. "Oh hey! Good thing you're here. You've gotta stop the storm."

"What storm?"

Knowledge sighed. "Come."

Rae was dragged far away from her main mindscape, and into and area she did not recognize.

"Where—"

"Your conscience and subconscious of course."

"…Gimme that again?"

Knowledge sighed again, visibly irritated. "See that up there?" she said pointing to the "sky". Rae looked up. It was very cloudy, and there were occasional thunderclaps and bolts of lighting. "That's guilt."

"But I'm not guilty of anything!" Rae protested.

"Yes you are," said a voice from behind her. It was the voice that had been plaguing her. She spun to find herself face to face with…

Raven.

"What the hell…"

"You don't recognize me?"

Of course Rae recognized her. How could she not recognize herself? There she was, cloaked in blue, an unnatural shadow blocking her face, only her eyes showing through. Those eyes, boring deep into Rae's soul.

Her eyes.

"Yes. You're Raven."

"No. I'm _you_."

"_No,"_ Rae yelled. "You're not me, not anymore."

Raven shook her head. "You cannot rid yourself of a part of you. You can only lock it up, as you did me."

"I'm not a Titan anymore. You don't exist!" she cried, hoping her words would become truth and Raven would disappear.

"I exist whether you choose to be me or not."

"I am _not_ you."

A smirk became visible under Raven's hood. "Oh really? Then who are you?"

Rae was getting angrier by the second. "I am Rae Roth. I'm a journalist, nothing more, nothing less."

"Ah, you state who and what you are. But you are wrong."

"_No!_ I'm Rae, dammit!"

"No, you aren't. You are Raven, the half-demon."

Rae stared at the ground. She hadn't thought about her heritage in a long time. It hurt.

"No. Rae is human. Just a human."

Raven laughed. "Okay, 'Rae Just-A-Human', what are you doing here?"

"What? I came here because you won't leave me the hell alone!"

"Not _here_, you idiot, what are you doing in some apartment writing articles for some newspaper? What happened to truth and justice? What happened to the heroes?"

Rae snorted. "Heroes aren't perfect. Sometimes they don't save the day."

"One mistake. You gave up."

Rae's eyes found the ground again, and her fists clenched. "One _big_ mistake. One we couldn't fix."

"You shouldn't have given up."

"Shut up. The world's a better place without the Teen Titans."

"No, it's not. The reason I'm here is because of what happened tonight. You know you could have stopped it. People like the Changs still need you."

Rae turned away from her counterpart, crossing her arms. "_Nobody_ needs me."

Raven grabbed her shoulder. "You're being selfish. You can't put yourself before others." A thick, smoky fog swirled around them, blocking out Raven.

"Just leave me alone."

Rae found herself back in her apartment, holding her mirror in her hands. She looked at her clock.

2:30 am.

'I need to get some sleep,' Rae thought. 'I've got things to do tomorrow night.'

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(A/N: Yes, we're skipping straight to the social because this is the eleventh page, and the author wants to finish this part of the plot _this_ chapter. StarRob fans, be patient! Much more of our favorite alien and her man next chapter, I promise!)

Terry was standing outside of the convention center, feeling like an idiot. His big chance to meet of the famous Bruce Wayne _in person, _and Rae, who had their passes, was late. He was mad at her, especially after hearing everyone at the office describe her as "punctual".

"Punctual my ass…" he muttered. Just then, Rae came running up.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, giving him his pass.

"Well I—" Just as he was about to tell her off, he took a good look at her. She looked very tired, and her eyes were unfocused. "…You okay, Rae?"

"What? Of course, now let's go. Sooner we get in, sooner we leave."

He smiled. That was more like her. "All riiiight! Let's go meet some famous people!"

They went inside. "Wow," Rae commented. "they spruced the place up, eh?"

The normally plain convention center was completely made over. All of the tables were covered in impressive fabric, the fluorescent lights were turned off, replaced with festive paper lights (A/N: You know, those cool oriental ones! I love those.), and the stage was the only thing that wasn't elegantly decorated. It only had a podium with a microphone. There were many people (in very formal dress), walking around and talking to each other. There was also a bar set up in the corner, where there was quite a few people sitting.

"Figures," muttered Rae.

"FOOD!" yelled Terry, spotting the buffet. He went over, and promptly began stuffing his face.

Rae sighed. 'Some photographer.'

Rae interviewed several people, and then ate a bit, all the while wishing she was somewhere, anywhere else. She could take the snobby celebrities and businessmen, but she couldn't take the immense _boredom._ 'This sucks,' she thought. 'At least if I was home, I could be playing cards with Adrian, or something.' There was an announcement over the speaker. It was finally time for Bruce Wayne to speak.

He came on stage, and there was a lot of clapping. Terry snapped pictures, and Rae whipped out her notepad. This was the main event of the night, and once it was over, she could get the hell out of there. Bruce cleared his throat.

"How is everyone tonight?" There were murmurs of "good", "fine", and "been better" from the crowd. "Good, good. Now, first of all, I would like to thank you all for coming here, and contributing to this charity."

Rae yawned and took notes. She was interested in what he had to say, it was just so impossible to keep awake after all of the other interviews. He stopped talking about charity after a while, and then went on to answer questions he'd been asked by other reporters. Rae almost fell asleep standing up, but once she heard the name "Nightwing", she snapped to attention so fast she almost got whiplash.

"…A lot of people have asked me what I think of him. Though it's a bit off topic, I believe it's a question that deserves an answer."

'This should be good. Let's see what Bruce thinks of his former protégé.'

"I think he's a hero."

Rae's heart skipped a few beats.

_"What happened to the heroes?"_

A reporter put up his hand. "Mr. Wayne, Mr. Wayne! Calvin Mocker, _The_ _Gotham__ Report. _Why do you think he's a hero? Many believe him to be a brutal vigilante."

"Well, he is my definition of a hero."

Rae was holding her breath for some reason.

(A/N: THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH CONTAINS QUOTES [and near quotes] FROM SPIDERMAN 2! I DON'T OWN THESE QUOTES, SO DON'T SUE ME!)

"A hero is someone who gives up the things they want the most so others don't have to. I believe there's a hero in all of us, really. Gives us a sense of justice. Keeps us noble. And I also think that no matter what the papers say, the public really likes heroes. Everybody loves a hero. Heck, people will stand out in the rain for hours to see the person that saved them that day. Heroes are necessary, because they set an example. How many people in here have a little boy or girl that doesn't want to be a hero?"

There were murmurs of approval, followed by applause. Rae was staring at Bruce, and she could hear a monotonous voice echoing through her head.

'Heroes are necessary…'

After the rest of the speech, Rae squeezed through the crowd, Terry close behind.

"Rae? Why are we leaving? They haven't served dessert yet!"

"I'm not hungry."

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Rae stood in the barren void that was her mindscape. The fields had deteriorated into floating chunks of land; just as it had been so long ago.

"Come out. I know you're there," she yelled. A dark shadow came up from the ground, transforming into a tall, hooded figure.

"Speaking," Raven said.

"You say I should be you again—"

"I _am _you, remember?"

"What Bruce said…I can't be you—and don't give me that crap about you and me being the same again, okay?! I have things to do. A life to live."

"What do you have to do?"

"Gar…I love him. I can't…"

"'A hero is someone who gives up the things they want the most'…even the things you love."

"What is it for?!" yelled Rae. "Why should I?!"

"Because it could be even closer to home next time. What if that thug that murdered Gary mugs Adrian? Or Lucy? Or Terry? Do you want that to happen?"

"No, I just—"

"You have powers. They have a use. You know that. You've known that since a long time ago."

Rae looked down.

"Tell me I'm wrong, Rae. It's your duty to protect the city. You made a promise."

"I know."

"There's a reason Dick is Nightwing, and it's the same reason you need to be Raven." She held out her hand. "Do you accept?"

Rae paused. So many thoughts were swirling around in her head. It was now or never. She took Raven's hand, there was a blinding light, and she was back in her apartment. She stood up, walked over to the window, and opened it, letting the night wind come in.

"I'm back."

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**Blowfish: How was it? This is where the real action starts, in the next few chapters. How did you like the BBRae bits? I can't say when the next chapter will be up, but it'll be soon. Review! Tell me what you think! Seeya!**


	5. Jerome's Crash Course in Dating

**Blowfish: I'm baaaaaaack... I know, you all are probably like "WHERE THE HELL HAS BLOWFISH BEEN?!". I'm REALLY SORRY. School's been the biggest bitch in the world (except for French; God, I love French), and homework and friends (I just joined my buddy's D&D campaign n.n) have been pushing into my weekends. And on top of this, I have to sleep. I think even worse than usual on little sleep. And last weekend, I got massive writer's block. I re-wrote this chap in my head about 60 times before I got a good idea. You guys are so good to me in your reviews, and I feel really bad for taking so long to update. Shame. Soooo…**

**(The camera pans out and the readers realize Blowfish is hanging upside-down, like a piñata. Chimpy comes out with a box of large wooden sticks.)**

**Chimpy: For your pleasure and the purpose of venting your anger at the author…**

**Blowfish: You are entitled to beat me over the head with the items provided! Though I'm sure you guys aren't the violent type…**

**(All of the reviewers have taken a stick from the box.)**

**The Gemini Sage: (cracking her knuckles) Pick a body part, Knight.**

**Exiled-Knight: I'm quite partial to the skull.**

**Blowfish: Aww, come on guys…you don't HAVE to…**

**Kit Kat: Oh, but we want to…**

**(All reviewers begin beating the living tar out of the author—except for her fingers, or she wouldn't be typing this. nn;)**

**Blowfish: OW!—Well—Shit!—here's—DAMMIT!—some review—Ow!—responses!**

**Exiled-Knight: Heh, BB is the type to pull that kind of immature stunt (the whole "call-Rae-and-run" thing). And yes, now we have two heroes! Yay! And don't worry about my Zelda fic…keep reading and you'll find out what I'm gonna do.**

**Princess Grace: Yeah, that's what I was going for.**

**Eilian Rhoss: Really? You think it's THAT good??? WAHOO! (does the happy dance)**

**The Gemini Sage: Yeah, these bastards are really pissing me off. I'm not the revenge/murder type, though…I'll just go with your other suggestion, and reformat them (even though that'll probably take me over SIX FRICKIN' HOURS). I'm glad you liked the BBRae bits. I hope you're wrong about the quote thing. If you're right, I'll be SO pissed. This is my brainchild. They can pry it from my cold, dead fingers.**

**Hawgal: Birds and the beesfry and the tomato; lol. I can see your point about Rae and Terry being like ****Lois Lane**** and Jimmy. I used to watch Superman a lot. Bet that was my subconscious putting Terry in there like that. (I do that sort of thing a lot.) Peter Parker was sort of my motif for creating him, but now that I think about it, he came out more like a really, REALLY dorky version of Jimmy. Ah, hell.**

**Calisto: Can't say much about that without giving the plot away. Still, know that in my fics, Raven and Beast Boy ALWAYS find a way. Though, I HAVE been thinking of maybe doing a RaeCy story…**

**BBRae**** fans: NOOOOOO!!! YOUR LOYALTIES ARE TO UUUUUUSSSS!!!**

**Blowfish: …Or not.**

**Daine: Yep, Raven is back, and she's kicking some ass and taking some names! And I'm glad you like the dialogue.**

**hyperbunnywabbit: Thanks. Cute name, btw.**

**RobinluvsStar (that is SO true!): Thanks, and again, that's what I was going for. Don't worry, lots of RobStar fluff this chapter.**

**Hiyume: Thanks, I'm glad so many people think so.**

**Buhnana munkey: I agree, Spiderman 2 ROCKS! (Seriously, amazing movie, go see it). The last chapter was meant to grab you in a way, and I'm glad you liked the BBRae. I love that song, but I actually had another song for this. (Several really; still trying to choose which one—I just love songfics to death!)**

**tabbo22: Glad you like it. And it focuses on Raven because she's my favorite character. (Surprise, surprise. There are just so many fics about her. I think I'll do a fic centering around Cy sometime, because there aren't enough about him.) But this chapter, you'll be seeing none of her; though she will be mentioned. (I'm hopeless nn;)**

**Kit Kat: Thanks for the sympathy. You asked a few questions that I'll try to answer without giving the plot away.**

**1. The Titans are coming back. (Like all of you didn't see that coming.) I can't say why, though. MASSIVE spoiling.**

**2. We are going to see a bit more of the Changs. Probably a cameo or two in coming chapters.**

**3. The social was the catalyst that pushed Rae back into being Raven. Other than that, it really isn't that important.**

**Alas, poor ****Gary****, how we…didn't know him. BBRAE ROCKS! And I'll try to make chapters longer. (This one might not be that lengthy, though. This is sort of a "meanwhile…" chapter to the last one. This is a new part of the plot forming.)**

**purplemusicgoddess: You're welcome. Don't worry, LOTS of cuteness this chapter.**

**WolfosTerrence: "adds to faves"—I'M SO HAPPY! YAY! Yeah, BB doesn't seem the type to cuss out Robin, does he? Just adding to the drama.**

**Grumbumble: (NOTE: GO READ GRUMBUMBLE'S FIC NOW. I COMMAND YOU!!! IT IS AN AWESOME TT STORY! YOU MUST READ IT!!!) Glad you liked the BBRae-ness. "If this ends up like Spiderman…and I won't write any more of my fic." WHOA! Take it easy there, partner…eeeaaasyyy…step away from the threats… There's gonna be a lot of drama in between, but like I said to Calisto, Raven and BB will ALWAYS find a way in my stories.**

**Eilian**** Rhoss: The…best…one…? Ahhh…ahh…ahhh…**

**Chimpy: NOW you've done it.**

**Blowfish: (going into convulsions) Such…high…praise… (clutches heart and falls to the floor) Ahh…ahh…**

**Chimpy: (gets out shock paddles) Dammit…this happens every time…clear!**

**BZZT!**

**Blowfish: Whaa?**

**Chimpy: You got a little hysterical there, buddy.**

**Blowfish: Oh…sorry.**

**BunnyKat****: (I'm getting so many reviewers with cute/cool names.) Yeah, that last chapter was a bit creepy, but that was how it was supposed to be. Glad you like the execution.**

**ninmenju****-shin****: TRIGON'S GHOST, YOU'RE RIGHT! God, how'd I put that in there and not notice?! I gotta go back and edit that…nn; The "flash" thing was not one of my best moves. --; Thanks, though. This is a message for everyone: If you find anything wrong, or think I could do something better, then please, for the love of all things spandex-y, TELL ME! I need the advice. Yeah, Rae's gonna have a hard time balancing heroic duties and her job—not to mention trying to keep it secret from her friends and co-workers! And as for BB, you'll see… Spiderman 2 rocks, oh yes it does. Thank you for the rose—I've never seen anyone do that: - -**

**"talking" 'thinking'**

**WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER CONTAINS HUGE AMOUNTS OF ROBSTAR FLUFF (you know you want it). THOSE WHO CANNOT STAND THIS MUCH FLUFF ARE ADVISED TO AVERT THEIR EYES. OR LISTEN TO SOME ANGSTY MUSIC WHILE READING THIS. NO, REALLY. IT'S FLUFFY. FLUFFY AS A KITTY OR A PUPPY. FLUFFY AS THAT LINT IN YOUR BELLYBUTTON.**

**YOU DON'T HAVE LINT THERE? GUESS IT'S JUST ME.**

**…**

**ANYWAY, IT'S FLUFFY. NON-ROBSTAR FANS...DO YOUR BEST. ROBSTAR FANS…HAVE FUN.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans. If I did, Larry would be around more. (He was so funny! I had never really laughed at Teen Titans until "Fractured". It was just so WEIRD. And Larry kept hitting on Starfire. That was funny.) I also don't own "Maps" by The Yeah-Yeah-Yeahs. (I loooooove that song. Go listen to it.)**

**Blowfish: LOOOOONG author's note. nn; You wanted it…you got it. The fifth installment of "Heroes"!**

* * *

It was a foggy, gray, Thursday afternoon.

'What a terrible day,' Star thought. Nothing had gone right for her today. She was supposed to have gotten a haircut this morning, but the cab she called never arrived. So she had to catch a bus, and it broke down in traffic. She'd ran the rest of the way—in the pouring rain—to the salon, but they had given her appointment away because she was late. She went the other salon across town only to find it closed.

She then went to her favorite casual dining restaurant, but found out it had been ransacked by a couple of robbers. She couldn't say she was surprised. Just this morning, she'd read an article about a bunch of restaurants being hit by the same people. They had even killed someone during the robbery of a Chinese restaurant.

That was by far what made her day bad. Guilt. She knew that the others felt it too. The feeling that maybe, just maybe it wouldn't have happened if the Titans were still around. That, on top of the aforementioned mishaps had made her miserable. She was strolling through the park, trying to take her mind off it.

She paused, remembering Rae running after Gar towards the park. She giggled a bit. They'd make such a cute couple. This brought her mind to thoughts of Dick. She couldn't wait for Sunday. She and Dick rarely got to go out anymore because Dick had so much work. And she had rehearsal for plays. But this time, he was going to come see her play, and even take her out afterwards. Most wouldn't know it by talking to him, but Dick was actually very romantic. She knew it would be a wonderful date.

Star flopped down on a bench and sighed. 'Why can't it be today? Then again, judging by my recent run of luck, maybe it's best left on Sunday…' She looked around. The park had lost a lot of it's beauty. There was graffiti everywhere, and it was suicide to be there at night. Too many muggers and gangs. Star sighed again, feeling more horrible than ever. Suddenly, a pair of hands covered her eyes, making her jump.

"Guess who."

She laughed. "Hmm…Pete?" she asked mischievously, turning around.

Dick feigned seriousness, cocking an eyebrow. "Who's Pete? Someone I should know about?" (A/N: Whoever knows where I got that from gets a cookie.)

Star became hysterical with laughter, and hugged him. "Thanks, I needed that."

He sat down. "I could tell. You know what Gar always said: 'A depressed Star is a sign of the apocalypse'."

"Well the world isn't ending anytime soon," Star said.

"Not with me around."

Dick slung an arm around her shoulder, Star cuddled against him. He let out a great sigh.

"Don't you wish it was Sunday, my love?"

She giggled. "Yes, darling."

They were both trying very hard not to laugh. They never used pet names like some couples. They just didn't see the point. Dick suddenly stopped, grinning with an idea.

"Hey…have you seen that new movie, _Fallen,_ yet?"

"No, but it looked very good. About heaven and hell, right?"

"Yeah…wanna go see it?"

"Of course! But—"

"I don't think either of us can wait for Sunday, so let's do something to entertain us in the meantime."

"Sounds wonderful."

Dick got up, linking his arm around Star's.

"Come, mademoiselle. Your chariot awaits."

* * *

Miles away, Vic walked into the suburbs on the outskirts of Jump City. He checked his watch, and saw that he wouldn't be late. He and Sarah, a co-worker from the lab, were going to run some numbers over Project Cyborg. She had suggested going to one of their homes, as Thursday was one of the days the facilities were closed. Vic's apartment was a mess, so they decided Sarah's house was better.

'803…this is the place.' He rang the doorbell. After a few seconds, it opened.

"Vic, you're early!"

"I am? Damn watch must be fast."

"What can you do? Come on in."

"Nice place you got here," Vic observed. The house was small, but very neat and tidy. Even the kitchen was clean—well, as clean as a kitchen _can _be. There was a little boy (maybe six or so) sitting at the table, playing with action figures.

"Bryan honey, you're gonna need to move, me and Mr. Stone have a lot of work to do."

The boy looked up, squinting at Vic a bit.

"Who's that, momma?"

"Don't be rude. This is Mr. Stone, one of the people I work with." Vic stuck out his hand.

"Nice to meet you, little man."

Bryan scowled. "My name is _Bryan_and I'm not little."

"Sorry, Bryan. Didn't mean to offend you."

"Well—" At that moment, the doorbell rang, and Bryan ran to answer it. A second later, he yelled. "Hey momma! Can I go over to Michael's house?"

"Sure, honey. Just be back by four, okay?"

"'Kay. Bye."

Sarah turned to Vic. "Sorry. I date a lot, and he doesn't like it when I bring men home."

"Oh. I thought you were married."

"Nah. Divorced."

"Ah. Sorry to hear it."

"Yeah, me too…let's get started, shall we?" she said, quickly changing the subject.

"Uhh, yeah." 'No wonder she pulls so many hours at the lab. She's got nowhere else to get money from…' he thought.

So they worked for a few hours, talking about dates for the project, quotas they needed to meet, and shipments they needed to get. Bryan came home, but immediately went to his room.

"I think we're done," Sarah said.

"Really? Wow, we got through that quickly."

"Yeah," she agreed, taking a sip of her coffee. "Since we got some time left before I gotta go, you wanna just talk?"

"Yeah…OK…talk."

There was an uncomfortable silence that lasted a few minutes.

Sarah finally broke it by saying, "Or, we could just watch the news."

"Yeah! The news. The news is good. It's so…informative." Vic gave himself a mental smack on his forehead. 'Smooth, Stone, real smooth.'

They went into the living room and turned on the TV. A thirty-something reporter came on the screen.

"…And in local news, the 'Restaurant Robbers' are still at large. This team is apparently too elusive for the police force, as they have even killed someone during the robbery robbery of a Chinese restaurant."

Vic sighed. 'A shame,' he thought. 'Bastards think they can get away with anything these days…'

"In other news, an estimated 37 criminals have turned themselves into the police…"

Sarah's brow furrowed. "That's odd…surrendering willingly? That's not typical criminal behavior, even if guilt is involved. And so _many_..."

"Weird," Vic agreed.

The man on the screen continued. "Most of them have apparently been injured, though not badly. All of them, according to police, have been frightened, some to the point of hysteria. Those who are in such condition were sedated, and are receiving counsel. Now, we go to Dana in the field. Dana?"

The screen changed, showing a well-dressed woman on the sidewalk. "Yes, Ron, this phenomenon has not gone unnoticed by the locals. Many of them claim to have been saved from muggers by a mysterious 'shadow-bird'."

Vic did a double-take so fast he almost got whiplash.

'Shadow-bird?!'

"This 'spirit', as the witnesses called it, came at night, and took the form of a person. Though some say it was a woman, it was dark, so police have left its gender 'undetermined'."

Vic was now at full attention, sitting forward on the couch. He was in complete disbelief of what he was hearing.

'No way, no way, nowaynowaynowaynowaynoway…'

"Is something wro—" Sarah was cut of by Vic's finger to her lips.

"I appears we have a new vigilante in Jump City, unlike that we have seen in years," the reporter said.

'Maybe older than you think,' thought Vic.

* * *

**_…Made off_**

****

**_Don't stray_**

****

**_My kind's your kind, I'll stay the same_**

****

**_Pack up_**

****

**_Don't stray_**

****

**_Oh say, say, say_**

****

**_Oh say, say, say_**

****

**_Wait_**

****

**_They don't love you like I love you_**

****

**_Wait_**

****

**_They don't—_**

****

Terry stopped his CD player. Normally, music helped him study, but today it wasn't working for some reason. He sighed and lay down on his bed. He had to go over notes for his Philosophy class tomorrow. He cringed. He was doing pretty well, but his professor was dropping hints that his grades might be slipping. The last thing he needed was to bomb the upcoming exam. Just then, the door to his dorm swung open, making him jump.

"Man, I _so_ acedthat calc test!"

Terry glared at his roommate. "Dude! You scared the frickin' crap outta me!"

Jerome laughed, flopping onto his own bed. "You need to lighten up, my friend."

Jerome was the best roommate a guy could ask for. He was funny, nice, and very good to have around if you needed to cram for a calculus or computer science exam. They were his best subjects. This description would make one think he was a nerdy sort of guy, but he was actually a very good-looking, charismatic young man. However, he had a horrible habit of goofing off.

"So, how's the job going?" he asked.

"Oh, the paper? Good, really good."

"Really? Just the other day, you said it was going great. Does the pay suck that bad?"

"No, it's actually pretty good. It's just…"

"What?"

"Well, remember Rae?"

"Yeah, you mentioned her."

"She's been really out of it lately. I mean, _really _out of it. Like she's always somewhere else."

"Huh. Guy troubles, maybe? Sounds like a woman."

Terry chuckled. "Maybe. I dunno. Anyway, what's up tonight? Any movies to see? It's Friday, stuff usually comes out."

Jerome flipped through the paper. "Not much. That _Fallen _movie from last week is playing. It got a good review."

"Yeah, and Johnny said it was good. So did Karen."

"Who're they?"

"They're from the paper. Karen's really nice. Rae, Harold, and her are the only ones who don't call me 'the new kid'."

"Hmmm…how old is Karen?"

"Oh, I think she's probably around 21. Maybe a little older."

"What's she look like?"

"She's really pretty, ya know? She's got these blue eyes…and her hair's like the sun, and—" Terry's hand came over his mouth, as his brain had finally registered what he had been saying. His cheeks were very red. Jerome had tears rolling down his cheeks, he was laughing so hard.

"Dude—that's—aha—the—best! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Then, he paused and saw the look on Terry's face. "Aw—aww, come on Ter, ya know I was just playin', right? You're just actin' so goofy, it's priceless."

"Yeah…I just…"

"What's up, man?"

"I feel like an idiot…I am _never _gonna get her."

"Aw come on, man. Why not?"

"She's too good for me."

"Naw, I bet you could go out with her if you want."

Terry snorted. "Yeah? How?"

Jerome grinned. "My brother, it's time you got Jerome's Crash Course in Dating."

"Oh boy."

* * *

**Blowfish (who is very bruised from her reviewers' fury): Ugh, short chapter. I wish I'd gotten a bit more RobStar fluff in, but somehow, I don't think it would've been appropriate here. Fear not, though: Their date is fast approaching, and it will be the most romance-ridden thing I may ever write…this month. I hope you didn't mind the Raven hints in the part with Vic. I felt the need to do something other than introduce Sarah. (Whoever tells me where I got Sarah from gets many, many cookies. Though I think a lot of you may know anyway.) Soooo, I'll see you guys later, after updating my other stories. Seeya!**

**Reviewers: WE'RE NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!**

**Blowfish: AAAAAHHHHH!!! (hobbling off as fast as she can) Oh, btw, can anybody tell me how to get on the C2 boards? This is probably a stupid question (nn;), but I wanted to check them out really badly. So, while leaving a review, I would appreciate the info. Bye!**


	6. Five Little Monkeys

**Blowfish: Hey, everybody! You're probably still rather prepared to kill me, as it has been ANOTHER update after a month. Ah, well, school's still a bitch. Blame the educational system! Jk, it's totally my fault. However, I'll probably be a bit quicker with the next update or two, as I've been getting loads and loads of ideas. Expect lots more action and plot thickening in coming chapters. Anyway, I got reviews! I love you guys. I would still write this little piece of crap if no one reviewed it, but reviews are so nice and encouraging!**

**RockPunx: Cookies AND pizza?! (drool) Here's your update!**

**ninmenju-shin: Nah, it ain't Peter Parker (but you still get brownie points for a good guess). RaeBB tastes like chicken? Hmm…I always thought it had more of a tangy flavor… RobStar fluff is like chocolate-chocolate chip cookies: Overly sweet, yet strangely satisfying. I don't have the SP2 soundtrack (maybe I should get it), but that song sounds cool. And as for your RaeBB prediction, you are PAINFULLY on target. Half of that is practically word for word of what I'm going to make him say. You're good. Hope you like this chap, it's got some serious action. Don't worry, I like long reviews; they have so much more to respond to! (And no, I've never seen the rose thing before. I'm so deprived. ****L)**

**Eilian Rhoss: I'm glad you liked it. Sorry this took so long to put up, I hope you like it as much as the last one.**

**Grumbumble: Yes, it was quite painful (scratches fractured tibia). Ack, you guys are vicious. I see what you mean about the food thing—then again, I'm pretty sure two-thirds of this site is made up of teenage girls. We just can't NOT talk about food. Glad you liked the RobStar fluff, because there'll be more than enough in their date (next chap; sorry guys). I was wondering how many people would pick up on Vic and Sarah…or rather what will be going on. I'm glad you like "AoTT" so much (I'll get the next chap together as soon as possible).**

**YOU WANT TO READ BLOWFISH'S OTHER TEEN TITANS FIC. YOU WANT TO READ BLOWFISH'S OTHER TEEN TITANS FIC. YOU WANT TO READ BLOWFISH'S OTHER TEEN TITANS FIC. YOU WANT TO—**

**Chimpy: …Are you sending subliminal messages?**

**THIS IS NOT A SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE. BUT IF IT WAS, IT WOULD BE TELLING YOU TO ****CLICK****ON**** BLOWFISH'S PROFILE. CLICK IT. CLICK IT. CLICK IT. CLICK—**

**Chimpy: Stop it!**

**SORRY.**

**Broken-Mask: Ladies and gentlemen, may I present: OUR FIRST WINNER! YAY! For knowing those useless tidbits of information, you get lots of cookies!!! The "Pete" line was a quote from Fairly Odd Parents, and Sarah is from the comics! (Note: If anyone can tell me what link Sarah had to Vic/Cyborg in the comics, they will receive an INSANE amount of cookies.) Thanks, I love to know people like my work.**

**Exiled-Knight: I will NOT forsake this story. Definitely not. Besides, if I did, I would leave you guys a notice or something. I'm glad you liked the "shadow-bird" parts, those were the parts I was really hoping you'd all notice, as it's starting to slowly bring the whole thing into one storyline—or at least that's my intention. Hope you like this chap.**

**WolfosTerrence: Heh, that was probably my fav line too.**

**The Gemini Sage: Checked out your C2, it was cool. Do you take songfics, cuz I just posted one. Ooh, you're probably pissed at me for taking a long time, aren't you? TT; Don't be too mad, though. Yeah, the dating thing will rear its ugly head in this chap quite a bit with our poor little Terry. Mwhahahahahahahaha. Glad the fluffiness didn't annoy you (I've always loved fluff, but some people just hate it; go figure). Don't worry, major BBRae-ness on the way!**

**Jays Arravan: I'm glad you like it. There will be quite a bit of BBRae drama coming, so I think you'll be happy.**

**Buhnana munkey: Huh. I didn't notice that word-spacing thing. I'll have to write that down so I don't forget to fix that. (Must've been some damn glitch in the spell-check; Word can be so annoying sometimes.) If you've seen _Napoleon Dynamite _yet, tell me if it was good, because I was thinking of going to see it.**

**Taiba: OO; Wow, this was a while ago, huh? Guess I won't be getting any honorable mentions, eh? Ah well, no biggie.**

**fierytopaz: OUR SECOND WINNER! You get a cookie for the "Pete" line! I know what you mean about going all crazy with excitement; I do that when watching a good TT ep, actually. I'm glad you liked Raven's ordeal from chapter 4, it was meant to be like that. I thought Raven being locked away in Rae's head was just the creepy element I needed to make it that way. And no, the Titans aren't going to shirk their heroic duties while I'm around! I'm REALLY glad this is on your top 5, that means a lot to me.**

**Kit Kat: You do actually give me a lot of ideas with your reviews, and it really helps when I can't come up with any. Thanks for the candy! (gobbles down candy) We will be seeing more of Bryan and Sarah, that you can be sure of. Raven's gonna kick some serious ass in this chap. And Jerome is going to have quite the influence on Terry, as you'll soon find out. He won't go punk, but you're headed in the right direction. EXILED-KNIGHT TOOK ALL THE CANDY?! I'LL KEEEEEL HER!**

**Exiled-Knight: Damn you, Kit Kat!**

**Kit Kat: MWAHAHAHAHA!!!**

**Chimpy: …Oooookaaaay…**

**Blowfish: Uh, yeah. Anyway…**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill by now. I don't own Teen Titans. (Insert silly "but if I did" phrase here; the author's too lazy today.)**

**"talking" 'thinking' _flashback/fantasy/song lyrics  
_**

**Blowfish: Here it is! Chapter six of "Heroes"!  
**

* * *

Tyrone and Lars were heading down the street. If anyone had noticed them, they would have noticed the fact that both of the teens were dirty and unkempt, and neither looked like they had been eating a lot lately. Lars was muscular but thin, and Tyrone was tall and lanky. However, if a kind, caring bystander had it in them to ask if they were okay, the boys would have probably made a rather rude gesture involving their finger.

Everyone in the neighborhood knew this, so they simply stayed out of their way. Neither of them was particularly strong or violent, but they were involved with some bad people. People that nobody wanted to mess with. So, nobody interrupted Tyrone and Lars's stroll. Lars looked a bit pale.

"So, this stuff is good, right?" he asked his companion.

"You bet, man," Tyrone said. "You're on a cloud for most of the day. It's like crack on well…crack."

Lars nodded. "Cool. That other stuff was kinda weak, ya know? Wore off after an hour."

"This stuff's different. New to the market, I heard."

"And Geppetto sells it?"

"Heh, you know old Gepp. Pulls all sorts of strings to keep his customers happy. That's where he got his name."

"Yeah…"

Tyrone's gaze landed on his depressed friend. "Yo, you crashin' at my pad tonight?"

"Pssh. Like I've got anywhere else to be."

"Ma asked, so she'd know to pull up the couch."

Lars smiled. "Thanks, Ty. You're ma's real good, man."

"Yeah…maybe too good for me."

"Aww, are my favorite boys feeling down in the dumps tonight?"

Lars and Ty snapped around to meet their dealer, Geppetto. He was a young man with way too much stubble, and he was always clicking that damn lighter of his. The boys were momentarily spooked, but Ty rebounded quickly.

"'Sup, Gepp?"

"Eh, the usual."

"Got the goods?"

"That depends. Got the green?" he chuckled. Ty and Lars scowled and emptied their pockets. Geppetto surveyed the contents with displeasure. "Things keep like this, boys, you're gonna owe me. Big time."

"Just hand it over."

Geppetto pulled out a bag of strange-looking powder. Lars grinned and reached for it.

"I hear that stuff's bad for your health."

Geppetto spun on his heels and pulled out a .38. There was no one there. Was he hearing things? He glanced back at his customers. They looked as if they were ready to soil their boxers. They must've heard it too. 'Then again, maybe we're _all_ high…' he thought, pocketing his gun.

"If only."

_Now _Geppetto was scared. That had been what he had been thinking, hadn't it? "Who's there?!" he yelled.

The ground a few feet away, the ground had turned the color of pitch. It bulged, then rose and took the form of a huge, black bird. Geppetto shot off several bullets, but they went straight through his target. Lars and Ty were no longer scared, but in a state of paralyzing terror. They were cemented to the spot, it seemed, unable to run.

The bird twisted and shuddered, and then turned blue. A beak became a hood, wings became a billowing cloak, and talons shrunk and shriveled into hands. Beneath the hood appeared a pair of deep blue eyes, followed by a grinning face. The being put its face close to Geppetto's.

"Boo."

"AAAAHHHHH!!!" he shrieked.

"You've been a bad man, Charlie," it chuckled. "Come. Your fellow criminals are waiting eagerly. Your friends can't wait to see you again."

"W-what are you talking about? How do you know my name? Where is everybody waiting?"

"I know the names of _all_ who wrong others," it said. "And your friends are waiting where all evil people go. Remember where you sent them when you were cornered."

Charlie was shocked. How could this thing know…

_"Shit! Cops!" Charlie, AKA "Geppetto" yelled His friend, "Octopus" turned to the other dealers present._

_"Someone ratted us out," he whispered. The other dealers began to eye one another._

_"Hey!" one of them yelled. "I bet it was the new guy!" He pointed to a young man who had recently joined the drug ring. His eyes widened._

_"No…I wouldn't…c'mon, Ock, tell 'em. I wouldn't rat you guys out!" Octopus looked at him in disgust, and nodded to Geppetto. Two seconds later, the new guy had a bullet in his brain._

_"Wait a sec…" one of the others said. "Gepp went out earlier today." Everyone turned to look at Geppetto, and began advancing._

_"You bastard!" he yelled, shooting his accuser. The others were stunned, and this time ran towards him. He shot all of them. He was in a state of pure panic. He even shot Octopus. "ROT IN HELL!" he screamed. "ALL OF YOU, ROT IN HELL!"_

He was completely convinced now: Satan must have sent one of his servants to take him to Hell. 'Oh God…'

"Yeah, you'd better start praying," the being said. "Because you've got a lot to own up to, Charlie."

Charlie dropped to his knees. "I'll do anything! I'll help old ladies across the street for the rest of my life, for Christ's sake, just don't take me!"

Its eyes remained expressionless. "Do you know what's on 5th Avenue, Charlie?" Charlie paused, looking through his mental map of the city. 5th Avenue…the baker's, the bar that served really good schnapps, and…

"The police station?" he supplied weakly.

"Yes. Go there. Tell them everything. Now."

He nodded, and then ran as fast as he could towards the bus station. He needed to get to 5th Avenue as quickly as possible. The cloaked figure sighed and turned to the boys. This time, they _had _wet themselves.

"Go home," it said, picking up the plastic bag of powder. "I never want to see you within fifty feet of this stuff again." They nodded, and ran away. The being pocketed the bag. It would go in the furnace later.

"Well, nice job Raven," she muttered. "Along with practically threatening eternal damnation, you made a couple of teenagers piss their pants." She sighed and rose off the ground, flying over the district.

'Twelve muggers, three dealers,' she thought. It had been quite a productive night. She hated being the bad good guy (if that made any sense), but crime had gone down a lot lately. Perhaps word had gotten around that this new vigilante would not be messed with. That was what she had been aiming for. She checked her watch. Quarter to eleven on a Thursday night. She yawned. She was seriously tired. Her apartment building came into view.

Raven landed on her window sill and used her powers to unlock it. She stepped inside and yawned again. She unlatched her cloak and got out of her leotard in order to slip into her sweats. She flopped down on her bed and found herself wide awake despite her exhaustion. 'Heh, Robin and I always were the insomniacs,' she thought.

She knew that that wasn't the only thing keeping her up, though. She had resolved earlier that night (after seeing a news report about the crime rates) that she would take to the streets by day. A big step, but it was one she was all too willing to take. She didn't mind cleaning up the scum at night, but the cops needed more help—whether they wanted it or not. She was starting her day patrols tomorrow, and she was quite tense.

'I can do it,' she thought. 'I _will_ do it.'

* * *

**_'Cause the remedy_**

****

**_Is the experience_**

****

**_It is a dangerous liaison_**

****

**_It's the comedy_**

****

**_That is serious_**

****

**_This is a strange enough new play on words_**

****

**_It's the—_**

****

Terry's CD player beeped and died. 'Damn thing's outta batteries,' he thought. The Friday morning sun beamed down on him as he walked down the street. While walking down Carmen Ave. and he stopped by the jewelry store and looked in the window, where he saw a very handsome, well-dressed boy staring back at him. He grinned at the fact that none of his friends would have known.

That boy was him.

Jerome had gotten Sharon, a girl in another dorm, to give Terry a full makeover. His hair no longer stuck out everywhere, but had been gelled into submission. He had also finally fixed his glasses so they weren't crooked anymore, and Jerome and Sharon had chipped in to buy him sunglasses that clipped onto them. He had also donned a pair of fashionable gray slacks, a baby blue shirt, and to top it all off, a leather jacket.

'Man, I am a STUD!'

Jerome had also gave him a newfound confidence in his flirting abilities. With Jerome's help, he would get Karen on a date in no time. She would be stunned by his charisma and would certainly fall for him. 'Ahh, I can see it now…'

_"Oh Terry, I had no idea you were so FINE!" Karen exclaimed, jumping into his arms. "You're so strong, and handsome, and manly!" She sighed dreamily. "I know I never said it before, but I love you! I have always loved you! I've been waiting for a kind, understanding man like you my whole life! I need you like the dawn needs the sun; oh Terry, would you accept me as your dearly beloved, your angel?"_

_Terry grinned. "Of course, baby! You know I would never turn you down."_

'_That's _how it's gonna be…oh yeah…'

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Terry was ripped from his fantasy by three gunshots and the sound of breaking glass. 'What the hell?!' he thought. He was panicking now. Shattered glass lay all around him. Then it hit him.

'You fucking IDIOT, you're in front of the jewelry store!'

"FREEZE, SKINNY BOY!" a man shouted. He and his companions were wearing ski masks and carrying assorted guns. People were screaming and running everywhere, but Terry could only stay frozen, as commanded. "EVERYBODY ON THE GROUND, AND NO ONE GETS HURT!" the leader yelled. Everyone just kept running around. The man was getting very agitated.

BLAM!

Everything was still. The people, the birds, the cars; not even the wind disturbed the silence. The gun had been shot into the air, but it had sufficiently frightened everyone enough to stop them in their tracks.

"Now," the man said in a sinisterly pleasant tone. "I'm going into that store with my buddy over here." He gestured to one of the other men. "The rest of the fellas are gonna stay and keep you nice folks company. And here's an idea: Let's play a game. Whoever stays still doesn't die. That sound fun?"

No one budged.

"Good! I can see you're already getting a head start." With that, the two robbers disappeared into the store. Terry was sitting on the ground now, trying to keep his body from shaking. He could only think of all of the things he would miss if he died now: He would never have a date with Karen, he would never get a chance to tell Rae how much of a friend she had been to him, or get his chance to spit in Warren Connery's face, or get to drink, or grow old, or have kids, or—

"What the hell?!"

Terry's head turned to the source of the cry. The robbers were backing up from a huge shadow-bird that was emerging from the ground. Their bullets were absorbed harmlessly into the great ebony beast. It rose into the air and spun around and around; then something came out of one of its talons.

A boot.

It collided with the face of one of the men, sending him flying into another robber. The bird landed on the ground—no longer a bird, but a female form. She straightened up to her full height, which was quite pathetic compared to some of her opponents. A grin was visible beneath her hood. She said nothing, but put up her hand, waving all of her fingers toward herself—a gesture that, in this situation, could only mean one thing.

_Bring it on._

The thugs charged, throwing down their guns in favor of fists. The woman rose her hand, which was glowing with black energy. Two of the men were engulfed in the same energy, and with a wave of the woman's hand, they were flung against the brick wall. The other men would have run, but were held in place with the dark aura—needless to say, they were given the same treatment as their cohorts.

The other two men came bursting through the door of the jewelry store, bags full and weapons drawn. One was already taking aim at their adversary with his AK-47. Terry felt a new sense of confidence. He had to help this woman, whoever she was. Just as the robber was pulling the trigger, Terry jumped up, using all of his momentum to slam the man's jaw with an uppercut. Several rounds were fired into the air, and the man was sent crashing to the ground. The other one spun around.

"You brat! I'll kill y—" Before he could finish his sentence, he was sent flying through the broken window into the store with a broken nose. Terry grinned at the woman who had delivered the punch.

"Nice uppercut, by the way," she commented.

"Thanks. You kicked some serious ass back there," he replied.

"Hmm." She rose off the ground, ready to fly, but felt someone tugging her cloak. She turned to find Terry holding onto it sheepishly. "Yes?"

"Uh…well, this may seem impolite to ask, since you saved my life and all, but…who are you?"

She paused. "The name's Raven." With that, he let go of her cloak, and she floated away.

But not before Terry whipped out his camera and took several front-page-worthy pictures.

* * *

Karen Popper was going shredding papers. She wasn't in a good mood. Connery had been a real slave-driver these past two nights. He wanted information on this new vigilante, and he wanted it fast. He was being a total jackass to everyone.

'Not that he's not _usually_ a jackass…' Karen thought. She put the last of the papers in the shredder and sighed. 'Well, that's done. Better get to work on this vigilante. I wonder—'

"RAVEN'S BACK!!!"

Karen nearly jumped out of her skin. Terry was dashing down the hall and he stopped by her.

"GUESS WHAT!" he yelled ecstatically.

"…You went to the Starbucks at midnight again, didn't you?"

"NO! LOOK!" he squealed, shoving pictures in her face. There was a blue-cloaked woman flying in all of them.

"…She's flying. Cool, but I'm still missing the point."

He calmed down and beamed. "The point, my darling, is that I have just busted the vigilante story wide open."

Her eyes widened. "WHAT?!" Now other people in the office were crowding around, eager to hear what Terry had discovered.

"Do you remember the Teen Titans?" he asked.

"Of course," she said. "They were a group of teen superheroes that protected the city ten years ago, right?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Remember what happened to them?"

"Yeah…they weren't able to save some kid, and they broke up. But what does this have to do with…" Karen trailed off, as if something had just been made plain to her.

Terry held up the pictures for all to see. "It's Raven. The Teen Titan. She's back. I saw her!"

Everyone was chatting incessantly. This was the best! The story of the year! The century! Connery would finally back the hell off! There was cheering, and several people patted Terry on the back, or even hugged him—even Karen. Terry blushed. Suddenly, another photographer, Harold, appeared. He made his way over to Terry and Karen, looking urgent.

"Hey guys! Come downstairs quick!" he whispered. They followed him to the couch in the lounge downstairs and gasped.

Rae was sitting on the couch, head back, snoring quietly, with countless post-it notes stuck to her with various messages, like "kick me", "I'm with stupid", etc. People passing by snickered and stuck more to her. Karen chased them off, swearing under her breath.

"God," she muttered. "We just can't act like adults around here, can we?"

Harold sighed. "She's really tired; I mean, not even Terry's yelling woke her up."

Terry nudged Rae's shoulder. "Rae. Yo, Rae. C'mon, wake up." Rae opened her eyes and stood up groggily. She blinked a few times and surveyed herself.

"…OK, who made me the local post-it woman?"

"Some assholes in printing," Karen said. "You okay? You look beat."

Rae stretched and yawned. "Long night. Sat down once I got in here, and I guess I just checked out." She paused, and looked Terry over. "Lookin' good, kid."

Terry smiled. "You like it?"

"Wow," Karen said. "I didn't even notice that 'til just now. Nice."

"Thanks!"

Rae yawned again. "Ah well, back to work."

* * *

"Are you sure?" Gar asked Vic over the phone.

"Positive," Vic answered.

"Goddammit, Rae!" He put his head in his free hand.

"Chill, Gar. We just need to talk to her."

"If you remember, Vic, she's not the easiest person to persuade."

"Yeah, but we've gotta do _something, _right?"

"Right. I'll call her. Make her meet us later."

Vic could sense the anxiety in his friend's voice. "It'll be fine, Gar. I promise."

"Thanks. I know it will, I just…I don't want her hurt. We had too many close calls when we were kids, and she's probably rusty…Dammit, Rae!"

"Just stay cool, OK? I'll catch you later."

"Yeah. Bye," he said hanging up. He dialed Rae's cell phone. No answer. He growled and dialed her home number. Five rings and…

"Hi, you've reached Rae Roth. If you're selling something, I suggest you hang up. If not, then you know the drill." There was a long beep. Gar sighed.

"Rae? It's Gar. I wanted to meet you at the park on Saturday. Could you call me back later? 'Kay, bye."

Gar put down his phone and stretched across the couch with only one thought on his mind.

'Raven…'

* * *

It was dark. Then again, that was the way he liked it. He used to hate the dark, but now? He loved it. It beckoned to him, in a way. The man's contemplation was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in."

His assistant came in the door. "Good day, sir. I have the video you wanted."

"Good. Pop it in, will you?"

The assistant put the video in the VCR. The TV in front of them flickered to life. On the screen was a cloaked woman beating up a bunch of robbers. This went on for a few minutes, and the screen went black.

"That's all?" he asked.

"That's all, sir," his assistant replied.

"Mmm." He picked up the remote and turned on the second TV. Images of a black-clad man appeared. He had a blue bird on his chest, and swung from buildings with a grappling hook. This tape also ceased after a few minutes. The man rewound it and played it again. He did the same with the other tape.

"Have you ever heard 'Five Little Monkeys', Sherman?" he asked, addressing his assistant by name.

"Can't say I have, sir," Sherman responded.

"It's a little song that children sing," he said, turning to the screen with the black-suited man on it. "It goes like this: Five little monkeys jumping on the bed. One fell off and bumped his head. Momma called the doctor and the doctor said, 'No more monkeys jumping on the bed.' It really is a very cute song."

Sherman was feeling increasingly nervous. "It sure is, sir."

The man smiled a dark, twisted smile. "Five little Titans jumping on the bed. Two fell off and bumped their heads. Momma called the doctor and the doctor said…" He clicked the remote, and both TVs turned off.

"'No more Titans jumping on the bed.'"

* * *

**Blowfish: I hope you liked the ending. (I was trying to make it creepy and suspenseful, but I think the monkey song may have killed it. Eh.) You can all guess what's going on there in your reviews. Not that I'll tell you if you're right. That would spoil the story! Anyway, I'll see you all later. And remember:**

**REVIEW! (It makes the author feel all warm and fuzzy inside.)**


	7. Dick's Big Date

**Blowfish: I know all of the fans of my other fic, "The Adventures of the Teen Titans" are probably REEEEEAAAALLY pissed at me right now, but I felt the need to fulfill a review request and update within two weeks.**

**As you can see, I'm fond of close shaves.**

**But I SWEAR I WILL have another chap of AoTT up very, very soon. Really. I promise. But for now…review responses!**

**The Gemini Sage: I'm glad you liked Raven kicking ass again. Looking over most of the reviews, I'd say the general consensus was that Raven kicks ass. (And it's SO true!) I was originally going to have Raven remain as sort of an unknown entity for a few more chapters, but I thought, "Where's the fun in that?" So I decided to stick Terry in there to "discover" her, since I've become rather attached to my lil' OC photographer. (huggles Terry) And I would be ECSTATIC if you were to add my songfic to your C2.**

**ninmenju-shin: Ahhh, nothing like a good bodily threat to get the creative juices flowing! Jk, I understand. I hate waiting for updates from my fav stories too. And I really hope I can keep updating consistently (for once). As for the rest of your review…yes, I bet Rae WILL be quite pissed that BB called her rusty. You'll find out. I'm glad you liked the ending. I got mixed responses on that one. Some thought it was weird and killed the suspense, but others thought it was good. Hmm. Slade? Mmm…I'm not divulging any secrets. All I can say is I doubt you'll EVER guess what's REALLY going on. At least I hope not. If you like long chapters, then you'll be satisfied, 'cause this is SUPER long. And I'll definitely read your fics within the next week or so (AoTT's makin' me a busy girl!). I'll leave reviews and cookies!**

**K9 the First: Glad you like it. Everybody seems to be swaying towards Slade…but like I said, I'm not telling…**

**AzerathMetrionZinthos12: Apple juice…mmmm (drools). BB/RAE ROCKS!!! There won't be fluff for a while, but you get some nice, tasty angst this chapter!**

**lil' LIK Star: Heh, the mysterious guy is going to be keeping a close eye on the Titans…but I won't explain beyond that.**

**Taiba: Yes, I updated. IT'S A MIRACLE!**

**Wrongful Vanity: Yeah, I was tired of seeing so many weird "ten-years-later" fics, so I took a whack at writing my own. (Of course, who's to say it isn't as weird as the others…)**

**Jefepato: Yeah, the Titans have loosened up in 10 years, I guess. And Rae does have complete control over her powers; I'm just too lazy to go into detail about how she did it. nn;**

**Gecko Osco: 162 GOVERNMENT TERMS? That's scary. OO;**

**Exiled-Knight: Heh, I didn't even remember that the monkey song went with my name until I read this! And yes, Geppetto was the name of the carpenter in Pinocchio. I'm not sure where the hell I made the connection from talking puppets to drug deals, but somehow the dealer ended up as Geppetto. Go figure. And don't worry, because Dick and Star's date is in this chapter! Hence the chapter title. Caaaaaandyyyy… (drool dribbles onto floor)**

**Wave Maker: I'm glad this one's made it into your faves! X-Men Evo rocks!**

**Grumbumble: I'm glad you liked the chapter, and you did NOT take ages to review. I like getting reviews, no matter when they come. Sorry I don't have a new update for AoTT yet, but it'll be up soon. (I'm trying to apply your useful advice on writer's block for that email you sent.)**

**WHOCARES?: Definitely gonna be some Nightwing action. Not a lot this chapter, but lots more in the next.**

**Jays Arravan: It's a nice feeling to cure boredom (as we all know how excruciating it can be). And though I've never seen "The Shadow", I did want to make Raven kind of a badass. Not really sure why.**

**fierytopaz: Don't worry, I love long reviews! They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Heh, I wouldn't be concerned: Raven is on almost EVERYONE's favorite character list, if not on the top of it. Yeah, Terry is completely clueless…idiot. Vic and Gar's conversation leads up to the first part of our lovely chapter here! As for the Rae/Raven and Gar part, you have hit the bullseye. Gar is going to agonize for quite a few chapters. Dick and Star's reactions will be shown here as well. Holy crap…you have it piled on…man, school sucks. That's just wrong how much crap you have due. I feel for you.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans. I do, however, own a block of cheese.**

**"talking" 'thinking' _song lyrics_**

**WARNING: THE AUTHOR WAS COMPLETELY BS-ING YOU BACK IN CHAPTER 5 WHEN SHE SAID THAT IT WOULD BE CHOCKED FULL OF ROBSTAR (or DickStar, whatever you want to call it) FLUFF. COMPARED TO THIS CHAPTER, THAT CHAPTER WAS PUNY FLUFF-WISE. SERIOUSLY, THIS HAS SO MUCH ROBSTAR FLUFF, YOU MAY GO INSANE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I KNOW I DID. BUT IF YOU'RE A ROBSTAR FAN, YOU SHOULD BE LIKE A KID IN A FRICKIN' CANDYSTORE. I DON'T KNOW WHY I KEEP TYPING IN CAPS LOCK. I GUESS IT'S JUST FUN.**

**Blowfish: Here it is, lucky number 7!**

**

* * *

**"TAKE THIS!"

Horace Green, the fourth Restaurant Robber, was sent flying into the wall by a harsh punch to his jaw. He slid down the wall beside his comrades, who had either surrendered or had been pummeled into submission.

'This Raven chick is fucking _crazy!_'

Raven cracked her knuckles menacingly. Saturday morning had gotten a lot more interesting when the Restaurant Robbers had struck the pizza parlor. This battle, however, had been taken to a much more personal level. This scum had to pay for what they did to the Changs. They would go to jail sans a few teeth—Raven would make sure of that. She had made short work of them, finding that none of them were very tough deprived of their guns.

Despite cleaning up the streets in practically no time at all and being discovered to be the former Teen Titan, Raven had earned a very shady reputation. Data archives of any sort could find no traces of the Titan she had been, and failed to locate any indication of what she had been doing. The paper had broken the story of her return, and the local news was overloading with stories to report. The police, however, found her not so remarkable. Raven was currently wanted for questioning at the JPD. (A/N: The cops are bastards, eh N-shin?) They called her methods "unorthodox", "threatening", and "a menace to the public".

The public, however, adored her.

"Go get 'em, Raven!"

"Kick their sorry asses!"

"I think she's already done it, Val!"

Raven smiled and coughed a bit to hide her chuckling. She could hear the police sirens, though, so she decided it was time to get moving. She had to call Gar to tell him to meet her in the park, and she was _not _going to miss some time with him to play cat-and-mouse with the cops. She slipped off into the shadows and back to her apartment. She stuffed her cloak and boots in her bag, but slipped regular clothes on over the rest of her outfit. It was a much quicker change, and no one questioned her sweaters and jackets—it was getting very cold this time of year. Just as she was about to pick up the phone, there was a knock at the door.

"It's Terry!"

"It's open!"

Terry came in. "I came to show you the pictures I took for the story."

"OK, just leave them on the table."

"Well, I thought we could maybe, you know, look over them together."

"Why?"

"Because you might take out a picture I really like! And that would piss me off."

Rae sighed. "I've got to be somewhere soon."

"It'll take, what, twenty minutes?"

She sighed again. "I'll fix some coffee."

The two sat down and went through the pictures. It seemed as if they would finish quickly, but…

"Where can I get more sugar?" he asked.

"Top cupboard."

Terry got up and walked towards the cupboard, unaware of the shoe on the floor that had been cast aside. He tripped over it, his coffee cup sent flying, splattering Rae with its contents, causing her to drop her own cup onto Terry's pants, making a huge, wet ring right…well, you can guess where.

"Dammit, Terry!"

"Sorry, I didn't know you just leave your shoes in the path of innocent bystanders!"

"Damn, now I have to get changed."

"You?! _I'm the one who has to take a thirty-minute bus ride back to campus looking like I pissed my pants!!!"_

_"Ugh! Just take them off, you big wimp, I'll get someone downstairs to loan you some! I've gotta get changed so I can go meet Gar, dammit!"_

"…Who's Gar?"

Rae reddened and went to the bathroom, leaving Terry to de-pant himself—not an easy task when they're sticking to your skin. 'At least my boxers are fine,' he thought. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Rae!" Terry whined.

"Just get it! I'm indisposed right now!" she hissed.

"But I'm in my lucky Snoopy boxers!"

"…OK, now that I have yet _another_ unwanted image burned into my memory, _will you answer the door?!"_

Terry sighed and opened the door. A red-headed man with a grin on his face stood there.

"'Lucky Snoopy boxers'?"

"I live in Hell…" Terry groaned.

"What're you doin' in Rae's apartment, kid?"

"I'm her friend Terry. What're _you _doing here?"

"I'm Adrian, I live downstairs. The guys and I were making some muffins for the Changs, and we ran outta flour. Does Rae have any?"

"Do you have any flour, Rae?" Terry called.

"I'm not good with plants!" she yelled.

"_Flour, _not _flower_!"

"Oh. Top cupboard!"

"Ahh, the infamous top cupboard…"

Just then, the phone rang.

"Oh, goddammit!" Rae yelled. "Terry, could you get that?"

"I'll get it!" Adrian said.

"NO!" Rae and Terry yelled at once. But it was too late.

"Hello?" came a voice on the other end.

"You've reached Rae's apartment," Adrian said cheerfully.

"Then why am I not speaking to Rae?"

"She's busy."

"With what?"

"Hey man, all I know is, _I _came up here for a cup of flour. Some kid in Snoopy boxers answers—"

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Terry screamed, lunging at Adrian. He casually side-stepped the younger man's attack.

"—And it's just gotten weirder and weirder from then on, know what I'm sayin'?"

"…Oooookaaaay. Is she there?"

"She's changing."

Rae's enraged voice came from the bathroom. _"__ADRIAN__, I SWEAR TO GOD, WHEN I GET MY SHIRT ON, I AM GOING TO CUT YOU UP SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS YOU'LL—"_

"She's a bit busy right now. Might I take a message?"

"This is Gar. I just wanted to know if she's going to meet me in the park today. She was supposed to call me back."

_"I WOULD HAVE, HAD NOT THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD COME IN!"_ she shrieked.

"Aaaaand, there's your answer Gar," Adrian said, trapping Terry in a headlock. "Guess your girlfriend's on her way."

"Tha—"

_"GAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"_ Rae tore through the room and tackled Adrian, bringing both of them (plus Terry) crashing to the floor. While he was dazed, Rae swiped the phone from Adrian.

"Hey, Gar."

"So, you coming, or what?"

"Be there in twenty minutes. Got some things to sort out right now."

* * *

Vic flipped idly through the newspaper, ignoring the humongous, emboldened headlines about Raven. Gar sat next to him on the bench, looking pensive. Vic reached the funnies page and chuckled. 

"Heh, Gar look, this guy is—"

"I'm not in the mood right now, Vic."

"Aww, come on, I thought comedians were supposed to be—"

"I _said _I'm not in the mood!"

"Yeesh. Sorry, guess I'll leave you alone and let you mull over whatever's stuck up your—"

"Hey, guys."

The men turned to find Rae leaning up against a tree, watching them with amusement. She walked over and sat on the bench opposite of theirs. "Vic's right, Gar. You do seem pretty irritable. What's up?" Suddenly, both of their faces got serious. Rae was liking this less and less. "Who died?" she chuckled. She stopped when their expressions didn't change.

"Rae…" Vic said gently. "We need to talk."

"About what?"

"About Raven."

Rae was surprised, but only slightly. She had expected this. Tried to prepare herself for it. The others would know and would talk to her about it. She knew it, but somehow, looking into Vic's questioning eyes and Gar's angry ones, she found she was frozen.

"W-what about her?" she managed to get out.

"You know damn well what!" Gar burst out. "What the hell is wrong with you?! _Don't you realize you could get hurt?! __DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH I'VE BEEN DRIVING MYSELF NUTS THESE PAST FEW DAYS?!"_

Rae was taken aback. Gar wasn't one to get so angry, especially at her.

_"JESUS CHRIST, DO YOU GET HOW MUCH SHIIT YOU'RE GONNA BE IN?! YOU COULD GET ARRESTED! YOU COULD GET YOURSELF KILLED!"_

Rae could feel her anger rising. "So what is this?" she spat. "A vigilante intervention?"

Vic wrung his hands. "You could call it that, I suppose. We both…we both care about you, Rae. We're your friends. We just don't want you to make a mistake."

"Mistake?" she asked softly. "You think going and protecting those who can't protect themselves is mistake? How did we meet, Vic? Are you saying what we did was just a big game?"

"I'm not saying that, Rae, you know that."

"Then what _are _you saying, because it sounds to me like—"

"Do you have to be so damn hard-headed all of the time?!" he shouted. "We're just trying to save you from ending up in a pool of your own blood in the gutter!"

_"AND I'M TRYING TO SAVE OTHER PEOPLE FROM THAT! I'VE GOT A RESPONSIBILITY, VIC! I CAN'T STAND BY LIKE I HAVE THESE PAST TEN YEARS LETTING CRAP HAPPEN TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T DESERVE IT!!!" _she yelled. She visibly sagged. "How much more has to happen for it to get through your thick skull? You might want to think twice about waiting, because it'll only cost those around you." With that, she turned and started to leave.

"RAE!"

She paused and looked back at them. Gar was slouching, looking desperate. He still had rage in his eyes, but now it was accompanied by tears.

"Rae…if you go now, it'll never be like it was. We've been given the ultimate opportunity. We can just be normal, not have to worry about it. We can let it all go. Do that for us. For me. Just put it behind you."

There was a long silence. A chilly air descended upon them, and Vic clutched his coat. He and Gar stood there, watching and waiting. Rae's cold blue orbs pierced their hearts. The howl of the wind was the only break in the death-like quiet.

And in that moment, Rae Roth turned her back on her friends and walked away.

* * *

Dick turned on the TV while attempting to straighten his bowtie. He wanted to look perfect for his date. Sunday had taken almost an eternity to arrive, and he eagerly welcomed it. Something on the news caught his eye. 

"And in tonight's top story, we follow the former Teen Titan, Raven, on her seemingly never-ceasing campaign against crime. The vigilante today stopped ten muggings, and we mustn't forget the capture of the notorious Restaurant Robbers yesterday. All members of the group are being charged with multiple counts of robbery, and Horace Green is being charged with second-degree murder for the murder of Gary Chang."

Dick gave a small smile. "Good job, Raven," he whispered. He looked at his watch. "Oh crap, I'm gonna be late!"

Star came out on stage with Anton and bowed. The audience was in an absolute uproar. The performance had been spectacular, especially the act put on by the leading lady, Star herself. She was delighted at how the play had went, and was even more delighted at the person she saw in the fourth row, who was probably clapping the hardest and smiling the most: Dick.

After the final curtain, Star went backstage and traded congratulations and pats on the back with the other actors and actresses. She went into her dressing room and changed into the outfit she had brought for the date: A lovely, sparkling dress that was a deep shade of magenta. She came out, and Anton nearly tripped over himself.

"Well, you're looking wonderful," he said.

She blushed. "Thank you."

"What're you doing tonight? That's a better dress than the one you wore for the show!"

"I have a date."

"Oh. With who?"

"With me," a voice said. Anton spun to face Dick, garbed in a tuxedo and holding both hands behind his back.

"Ah, you must be Dick," Anton mused, sticking out his hand. Dick smiled and shook it. "I've heard a lot about you."

"And judging by the costume, I'd say you're Anton. I've heard a lot about you as well. Don't go stealing my girl, okay?" he laughed.

"Dick…" muttered a very flustered Star. Dick grinned and removed his other hand from behind his back, revealing a bouquet of roses.

"Flowers for the lady."

"Oh Dick! They're lovely!"

"Shall we?"

"Yes. Goodbye, Anton."

"Goodbye, Star," Anton said, smiling. "See you next week! You two have a good time, hear?"

When they left, however, his friendly expression turned to one of sour displeasure.

* * *

Dick lead Star to his Jaguar (A/N: Yes, he _does_ have more money than God.), and the two were soon driving through Gotham's busy streets. 

"So…have you given any thought to Raven?" Star asked.

"I have," Dick said quietly.

"And…?"

"And what?"

"Aren't you…you know, say something judgmental?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Do you approve of her or not?"

"I'm…not sure. I guess…Dick wants to yell at her for it, but Nightwing wants to condone her actions."

"I see."

"What about you?"

"I…I am worried for her safety, the same way that I worry for your safety. I have told you my view on what you do, and it remains the same for her."

"You think it's dangerous."

"It _is _dangerous."

"…I know."

An uncomfortable silence lingered for a few minutes. Star examined her roses, fingering the petals affectionately.

"Thank you again," she whispered.

"Star, I love you. You don't need to keep thanking me," he said.

"I know. I just…I'm happy."

"Mmm?"

"Of all of the things I could be doing tonight, I'm glad I chose to go out with you. I always am."

"As am I."

She pointed out the window. "Is that it?" she asked.

"Oui. Le Château des Rêves. This way, mademoiselle."

"Ahh, you know I love it when you speak French."

"And you know that I'm happy when you're happy," he said, kissing her gently.

The two had the most romantic dinner one could imagine. Incredible food, excellent wine, soothing candles, and a polite, sociable waiter made the night one of the best either of them had ever had. Truthfully, they more often preferred simple outings (particularly Dick, who was forced into every stuffy restaurant you could think of for business dinners), but this was a most welcome change in atmosphere.

"Having a nice time?" Dick asked.

"I'm having a _wonderful _time," Star said. "I couldn't ask for a better night or a better man to spend it with."

"Star…"

"Yes?"

"Well, I wanted to say…I'm glad you and I are together."

Star looked at him quizzically, but tried to follow along. "Me too…what are you getting at?"

"Umm…I just…man, I suck at this…Star, you are the only woman I've ever truly loved and probably ever will truly love. You're beyond amazing. Every day I get through I know it's partially because of the fact that you're waiting there for me. And the truth is…you've stolen something from me I never want back: My heart. I just…" he paused and stood up. Star's heart was thumping in her chest. Dick took a deep breath and continued. "I don't want to spend another day without you." And with that, he dropped down on one knee.

Star thought she might faint. 'This _cannot _be what it appears to be. This is either a prank, or some dream. Some wonderful, perfect dream,' she thought, watching Dick fishing in his pocket for something. By now, the whole restaurant was in complete silence. Dick pulled out a small, velvety box and opened it, unveiling the most stunning diamond ring she had ever seen. She was now barely breathing.

"Star…will you marry me?"

'This _has _to be a dream…the scented candles made me woozy, and I passed out. This is just too…' The silence stretched on for an eternity, until finally, Star found her voice.

"Yes."

The second Dick slipped the ring on Star's trembling finger, they knew that they were the happiest two people in the world.

* * *

**Blowfish: Heh, told you RobStar fans would like this! I also hope you guys liked the stuff in the beginning, a little angst to balance out the fluff. But I wouldn't be surprised if half of the RobStar fans reading this just squealed with delight at that last part. Anyway, gotta go. Review!**

**To N-shin: Let the record show, that no matter what those bastards say, this chapter was submitted before ****midnight**** on Saturday.**

**Seeya!**


	8. Hello to the Night

**Blowfish: I'm here! Oh yeah, HOO-HAH! I feel good! WHY?! 'Cause my bro's in town and I finally got that #$#$?!?#?!#$$?$#!! collage done! AND I got my Coldplay CD back! I intend to use a song from it in an upcoming chapter.**

**Chimpy: Sweet.**

**Blowfish: Very much so. I got SO many reviews! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! (leaps forward to hug readers)**

**Readers: (take one GIANT step backwards, causing Blowfish to fall flat on her face)**

**Blowfish: …Okay, sorry. Too much love.**

**Blacklight52: Yeah, I thought it was only fitting. I mean, they've known each other long enough. It's logical.**

**Chimpy: Considering you were in a state of cookie-induced RobStar hysteria.**

**Blowfish: (shifty eyes) …I only had five. I CAN QUIT ANYTIME I WANT! (eats cookie)**

**Blacklight52: I never flush good BBRae! After this chapter, they will have a lot of angsty romance going on, though.**

**Grumbumble: I have no idea how the Snoopy boxers idea came to me. I just started making a little list, I guess: "Top Ten Things No Self-respecting 19-year-old Wants on His Underwear". Go figure. Like most great ideas, it came to me with lots of caffeine and a sugar high. I was originally going to have Dick be pissed off, but then I realized he would be the last of the team to play the hypocrite, so I had him both ways. There will be a more fluff and mystery feeling to this chap.**

**TTJLFan: Triple review? Ahh, the unsung advantages of anonymous reviewing. I've actually been debating about the RobStar wedding. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have it, but there's another idea I had… Don't worry, like I've been saying, you'll see things flare up between Rae and Gar soon.**

**Taiba: IT'S OFFICIAL! I HAVE A FANGIRL! XD But please, don't worship me, I'm a pipsqueak compared to some other authors on here.**

**Kevin (Blowfish's friend): POTATOES? WHERE?!**

**Blowfish: Eeeaaasyyy, man.**

**Wrongful Vanity: Hmm. Must tone fluff down a just a bit.**

**Exiled-Knight: Glad you liked it, I try to keep at least some of it light, and the rest of it serious. And because of the enormous demand, this shall be…THE NIGHTWING CHAPTER! Almost non-stop action with everybody's favorite ****midnight**** crusader (not Batman), and equally tantalizing mystery and romance for his alter-ego, Dick Grayson! I sound like a comic-book title page!**

**The Gemini Sage: Yep, angst is good. And so is Raven (huggles Raven).**

**Raven: Get the hell away from me.**

**The Gemini Sage: Yeah, I put the fight with Terry and Raven in there for fun (I threw in ****Adrian**** for good measure), and it seemed to please. DON'T DIE! THEN YOU CAN'T UPDATE _YOUR _STORY!!! AND THEN WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO FOR A LIFE?! XD**

**Meditation: Glad you like it; yeah, that seems to be everyone's favorite line of this story.**

**Catty Engles: _Beauty and the Beast _tours off Broadway? Shows how much I know about show business! And Starfire? Yeah, I thought to myself "You know, I can't see Starfire still being that naïve in ten years." So I made her a little wittier to make her seem more grown-up. I also thought that her and Dick would the type of couple that just like to mess around; kind of like a somewhat less goofy version of my brother and his girlfriend (who I swear is the COOLEST person on the planet)—they aren't sappy or annoying, they're real, in a funny sort of way. And on what you said about Raven: I find the most difficult yet fun part of this story is trying to keep everyone in character. Over the time period I'm saying has passed, lots of changes have taken place, so I have to restrain myself from toying around with the characters' personalities too much. It would be easy to make Raven the most happy-go-lucky person in the world with her unrestrained emotions, but then she wouldn't be…Raven.**

**Gecko Osco: Ack, 72 Supreme Court cases?! That's brutal. Hope you got through it all right. That much homework tends to scar me for life.**

**Jays Arravan: Glad you liked the apartment scene; its only real purpose was to make people laugh. Ooh, I love how you people keep catching on. You and fierytopaz (in his/her last review) are really on the right track with the Gar/Rae BBRae issue. And I remember reading about how Raven crashed that wedding ). Poor Starfire. And like I said, I DO have this other idea…**

**K9: Yep. Now if Rob had the guts to do it in the show… Cyborg/Vic will get a lot of face time in upcoming chapters, so you'll see how things go.**

**rae1112: I'm not sure what you mean, but "hi" to you too. Hope you're enjoying this fic.**

**fierytopaz: Yeah, I'd like to think that most people on here are genuine, ya know? I agree that we all are friends of a sort, even if we don't know what the other looks like. Dropping reviews and responses is a nice sort of thing that I love about this system. COOKIES?! GIMME! (snatches cookies) Thanks, it's nice to know that you're willing to wait. I've had a lot of crap on my plate lately, and I'm pining for winter break so I can get some REAL typing done. MAN, I gotta say, you really do get this story in every sense. You were absolutely right: Rae isn't really there anymore, only Raven, and poor Gar and Vic are having trouble wrapping their heads around it. And don't worry, I'm working on a very sinister way to incorporate Anton into the story…mwahahahaha. Heh, you're right on RobStar: Predictable and cliché. And yet, we are drawn to it—heck, it's the only pairing I won't waver on! But I was hoping even non-RobStar-fanatics would like this, so I tried to make it as romantic as I could (without, of course, crossing that oh-so-thin line into Pukeville). I can't believe people don't like your long reviews! I mean, who doesn't like this much praise/analysis? That's very asinine of them, calling you a "chatty thing". Don't listen to them, they don't deserve your time OR reviews.**

**Rose: Hope you like this update! A nun? Would you stay in a convent or teach at a school and strike fear into small children? You get paid less, but you can hit them! XD Jk, my mom went to Catholic school, and we think nun jokes like that are kind of funny.**

**Starfire fan 09: Heh, I think RobStar fans are eating this up.**

**Chimpy: Uhh…DUH! THEY'RE FREAKING ENGAGED!!!**

**Starfire fan 09: As for developments with Nightwing and Starfire, you'll just have to see. And interestingly enough, Nightstar is actually the name of their daughter in an alternate universe version of the comics.**

**Lauren1972: Glad you like everything. Are you a writer? If so, is that why you're looking for pointers? Just let me think of some first, and I'll post 'em next chap if you want.**

**GrYfFiNdOr4eVeR98: Can do, should do, will do!**

**deathknight sora: Glad you like the BBRae-ness. You know where I live? (shifty eyes) Creepiness.**

**Disclaimer: Yep, I don't own it. Never have, never will. That is, until my plan for world domination succeeds! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!**

**"talking" 'thinking' _Tamaranian_**

**Blowfish: You asked for it, and you can't say I didn't give it to you! A Nightwing-action-packed chapter of "Heroes"!**

**

* * *

**It was the happiest of times.

Nightwing could feel the cool snap of the night air against him as he sped forward on his motorcycle. He loved the bike like he had once loved the R-Cycle; he even affectionately dubbed it the Night-Cycle, in memory of his younger days. It was long, sleek, and jet black with his trademark (a blue bird) printed on the front plate.

'Johnny Rancid would've killed for this thing,' Nightwing thought, old memories drifting into his mind. 'Come to think of it, so would Vic.'

The machine was loaded with a complete arsenal of criminal-foiling weapons, including all the classics: Oil slicks, spiked wheels, grappling hooks, etc. There were also a few new adjustments: Concussion blasters, auto-pilot, and an electromagnetic disruptor (he had never found a use for this, but he enjoyed being able to say he had one). It also was fitted out with turbo drive and tracking system, courtesy of Earl Cooper, Bruce's old mechanic for the Batmobile. Cooper was old, but he could still crank out cars and bikes from the shop like nobody's business.

And on top of the pleasantries of tonight's ride, one fact was still foremost in his mind: He was engaged, in his opinion, to the most wonderful woman on Earth. He threw his head back and let a whoop, drawing odd looks from other drivers on the road. He grinned through his helmet and waved to them, and accelerated onto the next street.

Needless to say, the other people were quite stunned. They had driven on the same roads as the famed hero, and they knew this was not normal. Nightwing did not throw his head back. Nightwing did not whoop. And Nightwing most certainly did not wave. They simply shook their heads a bit and turned their focus back to the road.

Nightwing was, for once, enjoying his night patrols. Heck, he would probably beat up any criminals he found with a smile on his face. Nothing could dampen his high spirits. Suddenly, a large, green truck swerved dangerously around the corner at a ridiculous speed, showing no signs of slowing down. Several police cars came around the corner behind it. A box flew out of the open back of the truck, spilling a strange chemical everywhere. The police avoided it as best they could, and one leaned outside the window trying to shoot the tires of the fleeing vehicle.

Nightwing grinned, unusually excited. There would be no heist tonight. These guys were going down. He got alongside of the back of the truck and threw a tracker on it. He then set up the Night-Cycle's auto-pilot to follow it. With that, he fired his grappling hook, latching onto the side of it. Using all of his strength and momentum, he swung around to the inside of the truck, where there were two rather surprised people waiting for him.

"'Scuse me, gentlemen," he said conversationally. "I don't think it's very nice to dump chemical on the police. I mean, think of all those hard hours they put in, all those donuts they buy—for the sole purpose of protecting this fair city and benefiting the baked goods industry! Shame on you, trying to mess up all their hard work."

One of them, who couldn't have been older than 17, stepped back. "Holy crap, it's Nightwing!" The other, older man sighed and raised his Uzi.

"No shit it's Nightwing, stupid. This is Gotham City! You can't pull a goddamn heist without this bastard getting in the way!" he yelled, firing off a few rounds, all of which Nightwing managed to dodge in the enclosed space. He sent a spinning kick to the man's head, rendering him unconscious. The boy attempted to fire his own weapon, but in one swift motion, the agile vigilante had taken the gun and was standing over him. He thought it a good time to quote on of his mentor's more memorable lines.

"Children and guns do not mix."

Though the boy found it hardly appropriate to call him a child, he said nothing. He was in deep, deep trouble. Nightwing put his face close to the boy's face.

"Who set this up?"

"W-what?"

"The heist. Who wants these chemicals?"

The boy was dead silent.

"You've got until the count of ten—that's when I _really_ get angry."

The boy's lip quivered, but he kept his mouth shut.

"One…two…nine…"

_"Alright! I'll talk, I'll talk! JUST PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!"_

"There's a good fellow!" said Nightwing, slapping the terrified teen on the back. "Now, who wanted to steal these chemicals?"

"I-I'm not sure...I'm just hired muscle, really." Nightwing raised an eyebrow at the skinny adolescent.

"…I take it there wasn't much competition for this job."

"Well, not so much muscle as knowing how to fire a gun. But I'll be honest—I have no idea who's the real head honcho. I just know what I overheard."

"Eavesdropping? Ambitious little mobster, aren't ya?"

"Doesn't matter now. Anyway, I just heard a few things, but I think it'll be useful."

"The sooner you start talking, the sooner I leave."

"…Ahh…gotcha," he said, a hint of fear in his voice. "Well, I heard the name Macaque a lot."

"Macaque?"

"Yeah, they kept saying 'Macaque's gotta take tech class soon.'"

"Tech class… Anything else?"

"Uhh…yeah. They also said, 'Boss is keepin' an eye on his pets.'"

"Pets?"

"Yeah, they said, 'Boss's birds keep causin' trouble.'" Nightwing paused. Then, it hit him.

'Birds…!'

"Kid! Where can I find this 'Macaque' character?"

"N-not sure…but I know that the place we were supposed to take this stuff was the pier—Pier 28, I think."

"Thanks. Gotta go."

"Hey! You won't tell the others that I snitched, will ya?"

"Nope. Your only worries are the police—and your parents, of course."

"Ha…oh boy…"

"Yeah. Good luck with that. I gotta go take care of your driver," Nightwing said, swinging out the window. A few minutes, the truck stopped, and the young man found himself handcuffed.

* * *

Nightwing was urgently driving across Gotham, knowing that something foul was transpiring. He knew animals and criminals well. He knew a macaque was a monkey, and in mob slang, a monkey is someone whose specialty is breaking and entering. Tech class, he deduced, meant some sort of technology lab. There were several in Gotham, but one other sprang to mind. 

Jump City Science and Technical Facilities.

Nightwing pulled out his cell phone and chose Vic's cell phone number from the speed-dial. There were two rings followed by a voice.

"Victor Stone here."

"Hello, Mr. Stone."

"Who is this?"

"That's not important," he said. He hated to conceal his identity from his best friend, but it was for his own good. "What's important is that you listen closely."

"Oh yeah? Well I—"

"Are you still at the facilities? Is there anyone with you?"

"Yes to both. But I was just about to—"

"Stay there. Whoever's there with you, make them stay too. If you hear anything, _anything _unusualcall the police immediately."

"Is this a threat?"

"On the contrary, Mr. Stone. I may have just saved your life."

"Who—" Nightwing hung up, feeling decidedly calmer. If worst came to worst, Vic could take on this Macaque guy himself—he was plenty strong, after all.

But there was a much more pressing matter now on the costumed hero's mind. The other thing the boy had said: "The boss's birds keep causin' trouble." If he was right, this could be much more serious than he had thought.

'I just hope they meant something else,' he thought, stopping the motorcycle. He had arrived at the pier. He turned on the alarm for the N-Cycle and left it. Walking for a while, he finally found Pier 28, and the warehouse next to it. He fired his grappling hook and climbed up to the roof. There was a window, which he promptly opened. He lowered himself cautiously and silently onto a pile of crates. There was a small, collapsible table in the middle of the warehouse with four people sitting around it, apparently playing cards. There were a few other people scattered about the warehouse, keeping watch or perhaps enjoying a cigarette. Nightwing turned his attention to the four people at the table.

"…when Macaque'll be back." Nightwing heard one of them say. He tapped the side of his mask, and his vision instantly became filtered with green, clearing the dark. Another tap, and he had zoomed in on the table.

"Who knows when that little ass will get back," the burly one said. "Macaque's such a bastard, he'll probably go out and buy himself somethin' before he gets back." He lay two cards down, drew two more, and leaned back, his muscles shifting beneath his tight black shirt. The thin, purple-shirted man across from him grinned feistily.

"That shirt makes you look so sexy, Ton," he said, fingering a card in his hand. "Ton" groaned.

"For the last damn time Miguel, _don't _call me Ton. It's Tony." He turned to the others. "We need to hire another gay guy to keep him preoccupied."

"Oh Ton, you _do _care!" Miguel joked.

"Would you two shut the hell up?!" the one to Miguel's left said, looking perplexed. The snake tattoo over his eye twisted with his frustrated expression. Nightwing's eyes really widened at this guy. He was covered from head to toe in two things: tattoos and guns.

"Aww, is Monty ready to fold?" said a bony man in glasses.

"No!" Monty yelled, looking embarrassed. "I just…their talking is pissing me off, that's all!"

"Throwing off your chi, Monty-boy?"

"Don't be a so mean, _Ingemund,_" Miguel said cheerfully, fingering his cards again.

"It's _Ingo,_ goddammit!"

"That's it," Tony said. "Show your hands." Monty and Ingo turned up their hands. "Full house."

"Dead hand," Monty grumbled.

"Straight flush," Ingo said triumphantly. "Beat that!"

"Mmmm…" Miguel muttered. He turned up his hand. _"Royal flush! Oh yeah! BEAT YO ASSES!"_

Ingo swore vehemently while Monty and Tony gave Miguel a pat on the back—and all of their cash. Just then, a voice came from behind the darkness.

"Deal me in, boys?"

The four criminals spun to face Nightwing, who was very casually leaning against a pile of crates. Tony looked around.

"Why aren't the guys coming?!" he yelled angrily.

"Ahh, I got bored of your game, so I took them out while the hands were being shown. Who won?" Miguel stepped forward, still grinning.

"I did."

"Oh really? Good man! Now, the first one to get this one gets a prize. But remember, the sentence must be in the form of a question," he said, smiling and cracking his knuckles. "The answer is: The guy you're working for. Now…go!" There was a long pause. "Don't jump all at once, now."

"Ooh, wait, I know!" Tony said. "Who is…I'm Gonna Fucking Kill You?"

"Ya know, that wasn't quite the answer I was looking fo—OOF!" Nightwing was sent flying across the warehouse by Tony's blow. There was a large crash, and the pile of crates buried him.

Tony dusted off his hands. "Well, that was ea—" A blue and silver disk flew into him and exploded into light, leaving all of them momentarily blind. In that moment, of course, all but one of them was knocked unconscious by a flurry of punches and kicks. Miguel groaned and rolled over, and felt himself being grabbed by the collar of his purple shirt.

"I'm not playing around anymore," Nightwing growled. "You guys have really ruined my good mood."

"Heh…like I'm sorry about that," sputtered Miguel. Nightwing paused.

"What, no dumb stunt, like reaching for your gun?"

"I'm gay, not stupid."

"Glad to hear it. Now, for the last time: Who are you working for?!"

"I don't know his name. We just call him Boss. In the great sea of this ring, these other guys," he said, gesturing to his companions. "are like minnows. They answer to the salmon, who answer to the dolphins, who answer to the sharks. _I _am a shark."

"I'll bet your mother is very proud."

Miguel looked angry, but he didn't lose his composure. "I answer to a lot of fish too. But Boss…Boss is like the whale. He fears nothing." Nightwing smiled a deadly smile.

"I find most 'fearless' people I meet find something to fear very quickly."

"Ahhh, you're a tough guy. Tough guys are trouble to Boss."

"I'm a bird causin' trouble, eh?" he growled. Miguel chuckled.

"Yeah, that's you. You and your buddy in Jump…just a robin and a raven causin' trouble."

Nightwing's eyes were like dinner plates. He could feel a sudden rage surge through his body, and he delivered as powerful a punch as he could to Miguel's jaw, knocking him out. He dropped the mobster, a new sense of desperation sweeping over him.

Whoever this "Boss" was, he knew that he had been Robin.

* * *

Dick hung up his costume, heaving a sigh. He quietly made his way over to his bed, where his fiancée lay soundly asleep. Star had moved in a few days ago, and was exhausting from unpacking her things. (A/N: Needless to say, a bit of time has passed since last chapter—I'd say about two weeks.) He smiled and climbed into bed. Somehow, her presence was enough to calm his nerves about this Boss case. He planted a small kiss on her head.

"Love you," he whispered. In a few minutes, he was asleep.

The next morning, Dick was greeted by a rather insistent poking in the shoulder. He grunted and rolled over, but the poking didn't stop. A familiar giggle rang in his ears.

"Star…too…early…" he grunted.

"Diiiick…it's your day ooooofff… Oh, get up, you great _shnorkarf_!" she laughed. Dick groaned.

"What…ugh…time is it?"

"Nine."

"Nine?!" he yelled bolting up and jumping out of bed. "AAAAHHH! I'M SO SCRE—" he sentence was cut off by Star's hand on his mouth.

"Dick…I know this may be a difficult concept for you to grasp, but please, stay with me. Day…off. You…no…late. There…no…work…today."

"…Oh. Sorry."

Star giggled. "Go out and get the paper, will you?"

Dick got dressed, went outside to a newsstand, and bought a paper. He observed the headline: "Raven Nabs Mobsters and Police Suspicions". He sighed dejectedly. Cops cracked down on him, too, and it was really annoying. All him and Raven wanted to do was help. On his way back up to his apartment, Dick read the rest of the article. Apparently, there had been a lot of mob activity in Jump City as well. He paused.

Could it be the same people that he'd dealt with last night?

Dick went into his kitchen, where Star was already brewing some coffee. She poured him a cup and took the art page from the paper. The two sat in a thick silence for a few minutes.

"So, how was your patrol last night?"

Dick made an annoyed noise. Star had a killer intuition.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" she asked.

Dick put the paper down so that Star could see the headline. "Raven and I have a problem."

Star laughed. "What, she stealing your paper space? I guess she's such big news that even Gotham is talking. I suppose being a daytime hero has its perks."

"It's…it's not that," he said angrily. Now his fiancée had stopped laughing and was looking very concerned.

"Dick…?"

"I…I tracked down some mobsters last night. They weren't that bad or anything, but…they said they work for a guy…they just call him 'Boss'. He…he knows that I…that I was Robin." Star's hand went to her mouth.

"Dick!"

"Yeah…" he said, flipping through the pages. "Nothing about it in here, but Jump's Tech Facilities were almost robbed last night. I guess it isn't really Gotham news…or maybe that guy didn't go at all."

Star's eyes widened. "But…you don't think they know about Vic—!"

"No, I think that was just coincidence, but…I've…I've got a bad feeling, Star, a really bad feeling. I think this Boss guy is watching me and Raven. I…I don't know why, though. Maybe we're just muscling in on his turf, messing around with his plans, ya know? But like I said, I've got this feeling…" Star put her hand on his shoulder.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll work out. But you need to contact Rae. Now." Dick nodded and picked up the phone.

"My thoughts exactly."

* * *

Rae reclined in her chair, outstretching her arms and yawning. Karen was munching on her energy bar looking somewhat dissatisfied, and typing on her laptop. Terry was in the chair next to her, reading the paper. 

"That Raven's somethin' else, eh?" he said. Karen's eyes darted up from her screen.

"Mmm."

"You wrote this, right Karen?"

"Mmm. Didn't have much to go on, though. Chick didn't exactly leave a statement. Just knew that the guys we found were wanted by the police for mob activities. And good ol' Raven nabbed 'em. The cops ain't too happy with her."

"Why not? She's catching people, isn't she? The crime rate hasn't been this low in years! And she's only been here for about three weeks! That's amazing!"

"She's making them look bad. And on top of that, Morris, the police chief, doesn't trust her. He's been on the force since the Titans were in their prime, and he _still _doesn't like them."

"Why not?"

"He, among many other people, is not a fan of vigilante justice."

"So? Who has it hurt?"

"Need I remind you of the North Bridge Incident?"

Terry turned to Rae for support, only to find her running her fingers through her hair, looking uncomfortable. Before he could ask her what was wrong, there was the sound of police sirens coming through the window of the office.

"Gotta go," Rae said hurriedly.

"What's your rush?" Karen asked. "I was just getting my debate face on!"

"Just remembered something important I need to do."

"Now?"

"Now." And with that, Rae dashed out of the office. Karen looked pouty and Terry sighed.

"Something," Karen said quietly. "is up."

"Whaddya mean?" Terry asked.

"Rae. She's not…acting right. She seems wound up tighter than a spring these days. Like she's just waitin' for something to happen. And she keeps jumping up and leaving for no reason—except for 'family stuff' or 'important things' that she 'just remembered'."

"Maybe you're right," Terry said thoughtfully. "I mean, she's always really tired or on a complete caffeine rush." John stuck his head in the office.

"Yeah, she's been at the coffee pot three times today. Sorry," he added. "I couldn't help overhearing."

"Nah, s'okay. I guess we're all a bit worried."

"You're tellin' me. Rae ain't right, I can tell ya that. I've been working with her for longer than anyone else here. She's had stress problems before, especially when Connery cracks down the way he's doin', but she's never been quite this weird."

"Yeah, but maybe we _are _blowing this out of proportion. I mean, what if she really _does _have some family problems going on right now?"

John's eyebrow shot up. "Family problems?"

"Yeah. She's said she's got 'family stuff' like, five times."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," Karen said. "Why?"

"Rae doesn't have any family. I asked her once. She says her parents are long dead, and she doesn't have any relatives that she knows of."

"What?"

"Weird she would say that she had family stuff. Anyway, if I don't get this story to Connery, he's gonna fry me. Seeya." John scurried in the direction of Connery's office.

"Why would she lie?" Karen whispered.

"I don't know," Terry said. "But I think it's time we did some investigation of our own."

* * *

Raven took a long, deep breath after wrapping a steel bar around the getaway car of a pair of fleeing bank robbers. 

"You think these guys would learn," she muttered, lifting off the ground and flying away. Suddenly, her cell phone rang. She took it from her boot (she kept it hidden there for emergencies) and answered it.

"Rae Roth speaking."

"Hey there, Rae. It's Dick. Busy?"

Raven chuckled, landing on a roof. "You caught me at a very opportune time, actually."

"Yeah…did you catch that movie yesterday, on TV?"

"Which one?"

"_Code of Honor._"

Raven's breathing caught, causing her to cough a bit. Was it possible that Dick was implying…? "Oh. The one right before _Remember the Titans_?" She waited.

"Yeah, that one."

Now Raven was really interested. Back in the old days, the Titans had a special code--a "T-code", as they called it. If they were working dangerous cases that required them to lay low or go under cover, and needed to talk on the phone, they would use the code to talk strategy while sounding like they were just making small-talk. "Code of Honor"followed by "Remember the Titans" was the signal that the code was in use. No one had ever cracked it.

"Yeah, I saw it. Watch anything else?"

"This really good wrestling match was on."

Raven was wracking her brain, trying to get Dick's message. It had, after all, been a long time since she had used the code. She finally remembered that any mention of a wrestling or boxing match was referring to a mission or battle.

"Yeah? Who was in it?"

"Well, there was this really good guy called 'The Crusher'."

Raven paused. Crusher was their word for mobster. But Dick wouldn't be concerned enough to call her unless there was something up in Jump as well. Maybe it had something to do with those guys she'd caught last night. "I've heard of him. In fact…I think I may have been watching the same match. Who was his opponent again?"

"I think his name was 'Birdman'. Real weird guy, dressed in all red and black"

Raven's heart skipped a few beats. Any mention of birds followed by a color indicated her or Robin. Black was her code color, and red was Robin's. "Black…and red?"

"Yeah. And red."

"So…this guy has some crazy fetish for birds?"

"I guess. I mean, he really beat Crusher. The match was completely under his control."

"Uh huh." Raven could only guess that this meant that whoever this guy was, he knew about Nightwing and Robin's connection, and their connection to her. And that he had a firm grip on the mob.

Not a good combination.

"So," Raven continued. "Are you gonna follow this 'Birdman' guy in the matches?"

"I think I just might."

"I think I will too. I take it he does fights in Gotham?"

"Yeah, but I can watch those. You just keep an eye on Jump's wrestling circuit, yeah?"

"Count on it." And she hung up, sighing. "It's gonna be a loooong week…"

* * *

Dick hung up, feeling only a bit better. At least now Raven knew to watch her back. He turned to Star, who was quietly sipping her coffee and now leafing through the coffee. She met his eyes. 

"Are you worried?" she asked softly.

"I'm always worried," he muttered. "I've got an entire city on my shoulders."

"Sometimes you treat it like it's the whole world."

"Yeah, but you and Rae and the others—Vic and Gar, and everyone else—you guys _are _my world." Star stood up and wrapped her arms around him, but it comforted him very little. "I wish I was sure I could protect it," he whispered.

That night, Nightwing was squatting on his favorite gargoyle, wondering where to go from here. It wasn't as if he had any leads, and he couldn't just wait for Boss to strike again. He needed help. He needed information. He needed answers.

He needed a snitch.

* * *

Lawrence Dupont slammed his hand down on the bar, and the bartender slid down another drink. He drank it a little slower, realizing that this was his eighteenth beer. He paused and looked around, realizing that his designated driver, Paul, was nowhere to be found. Neither was the very slutty-looking woman he had been drinking with earlier. 

"Lucky bastard," Lawrence muttered, taking another sip from his glass.

"Enjoying your drink, Dupont?" Chills shot up Lawrence's spine. He knew that voice all to well.

"I-I been keepin' my nose clean, Nightwing."

"Yeah, but not sober. You ain't planning on driving, are you?"

"I doubt I'll be goin' in a…in a car at all," he slurred. "I think Paulie took off with a…with a hooker or somethin'."

"Heh, that's bad luck."

"Yeah…hey, whaddya want? 'Cause my friend's the one with a damn…damn hooker."

"C'mon, Laurie, what do I ever want?"

"In…information. And you…hic…usually drag me home."

"Just bein' a good citizen. But I'm really more in it for info tonight."

"Ahh…I'm not drunk off my ass anyway. Whaddya wanna know?"

"Boss. He's a new mob leader. Where can I find some of his guys? And I'm not talkin' small-fries, Laurie. I need the big fish."

"Ummm…wait…it's comin' to me…"

"You are _so _drunk off your ass."

"Am…am not! I remember now. There are some guys…I heard the other day…some of Boss's big guys, goin' for a…for a time in the red light district."

"Hmm. Thanks Laurie, I'll get someone to pick you up. At the rate you're going, you'll set the new record in this bar for getting wasted."

"Ahh…screw you, Bird-man…ugh." Lawrence passed out on the bar, and Nightwing chuckled.

"Too late. Call a cab for him, eh Phil?"

"You betcha, N-Wing," the bartender said. Nightwing had saved his life once, and all the man asked was help doing good for others. 'That's some kind of guy…' Phil thought, picking up the phone.

* * *

Nightwing sighed. Most of his snitches were reliable, but he still didn't feel very secure taking direction from a dipsomaniac with an attitude. But he had no choice. Lawrence's ears were his only guide at this point. He leapt across the buildings, running like lightning. He smelled the distant odor of cigarette smoke and vomit. And jumping over a group of skimpily-dressed women, he knew he had reached his destination. 

Gotham City's red light district.

Nightwing slipped through the shadows and into a noisy brothel. Staying in the dark, he tuned his ears past the loud talking and shrieking, hearing a conversation between a large, muscle-bound man and a woman sitting on his lap.

"…the mob?" the woman said, sounding impressed. "I think mobsters are _very _sexy…"

The man grinned. "Yeah, Boss is givin' us the night off."

"Hope you're having fun," said Nightwing, stepping forward. "'cause it's about to get a little less enjoyable."

"Oh really?" The man chuckled. "Can you spell 'set-up'?"

At the man's words, all of the doors of the building opened, revealing gun-toting men, waiters, hookers—even the piano player pulled out an M-16. And to all of this, Nightwing could only utter one word.

"Shit."

* * *

**Blowfish: HA! You all thought you would see a big showdown, didn't you? Well, I say again, HA! NOT THIS CHAPTER! CLIFFIE! IN YO FACES! Anyway, I hope you guys aren't too pissed. I just HAD to do that. You'll see what happens to poor Nightwing next chapter, along with lots of other fun little plot developments. Seeya!**


	9. Somehow

**Blowfish: (eating Christmas cookie) Mmm…huh? Oh, it's you guys! Back for more? I thought so. Anyway, the waves of reviews are really awesome!**

**Rose: Beat those kids in the hall! Half of the reviews I got were freaking out about Dick. Don't blame you, he's in it deep. Starfire…hmm. Nope, can't give anything away right now.**

**Chimpy: …You don't even have anything planned.**

**Blowfish: YOU know that and I know that, but THEY don't know that.**

**Readers: …Umm, we do now.**

**Rose: Glad you liked the T-Code. Took me a while to think of that. And I love answering people's reviews! Reviews are a way of communicating with the author, and review responses are a way of telling you guys what us authors think of what you say. It's really useful.**

**TtitansFan: Star save him? Eh…as cool as it would be, it ain't in the cards right now. (Damn, that really would've been cool…) Mask?! Holy crap, I didn't even think of that! I've been agonizing over a way to hide her identity. I guess the simplest solution is the best one, huh? (But GOD, I feel like an idiot.) Hope you like this chap.**

**Punky monkey: Thanks for all of the compliments, I appreciate them a lot! And perhaps you're right…**

**Taiba: This was a great winter break, yeah. Only downside? I had a science project to do! Only just finished it, whew… A button? YAY! I HAVE BUTTONS!**

**cRiTiC123: There'll be more here, don't worry! (It's mostly angst, but ah well…it'll get better!)**

**K9: That's about how I'd put it, yep.**

**TTJLFan: Yes, my cliffie was nice and evil…MWAHAHAHAHA!!! Pizza and cookies?! GIMME!**

**TIGERGRRrr: Thanks!**

**Lauren1792: Glad you liked the last chap. Tips? Okay, I'll try my best:**

**This is something you probably already know, but you really need to stamp it into your brain while you're writing (I have to do so on a regular basis): Metaphors and adjectives are your FRIEND. Screw around with descriptions as much as you can until you think it sounds good.** **If you need to mess with a paragraph for an HOUR, do so. It'll turn out a LOT better, trust me.** **Take advantage of space to build suspense. Instead of:**

**Suzie went into the living room and she could feel the presence of some other being with her. She backed towards the wall, but ran into something much softer. She heard breathing behind her. She turned. Suzie screamed, but not for very long.**

**Do this:**

**Suzie went into the living room and she could feel the presence of some other being with her. She backed towards the wall, but ran into something much softer. She heard breathing behind her. She turned.**

**Suzie screamed, but not for very long.**

**It makes it a bit more interesting, doesn't it? **

**4. Never underestimate the power that is the one-liner.**

**5. Get creative with the way your characters speak. Do they have an accent? Don't be afraid to pile on the "ya's" and the "zis's" ("this" with a strong, foreign European accent, like German or French)**

**I can't think of anything else right now, but I will next chapter if you want. Sorry if it sucked.**

**Exiled-Knight: Yes, Nightwing action for all! Better than the last? Great, that's always what I hope for: improvement. And this cliffie will be resolved first thing, don't worry!**

**Catty Engles: Unfortunately, I've never seen Phantom of the Opera. I want to, though. Yep, corny and Robin go together. Starfire is kind of fun a little less naïve, isn't she? She seems like she would be really funny if she wasn't so damn confused all the time. Romance? No prob! It's gonna be laid on thick in these next few chapters (so is action).**

**Wave Maker: Three words: Yes, yes, yes.**

**Grumbumble: Thanks! Like I said, the T-Code was hard to do. I actually thought of the cliffie last minute—I was going to do the battle, but I thought, "Hey, he's cornered! This would be a great way to end the chapter." And so, I did.**

**Chimpy: Angles? I didn't know this story had angles.**

**Blowfish: (jabs her) Shut up! They don't know that!**

**Grumbumble: It's kind of a pain doing two fics at once, but I don't mind—the only problem is, I can't ever think of ideas for the story I'm on!**

**A Pleasant Reader: Thanks. Yeah, school sucks. BBRAE DOES ROCK!!!**

**Eilian Rhoss: Thanks! Hope I updated soon enough…**

**dogearredangel13: Glad you like the story. I've heard that Dick joke a million times, and you know what? It's still funny as hell! I'm guessing you're a RobStar fan?**

**"talking" 'thinking' _flashback song lyrics (bold italics)_**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or "Float On" by Modest Mouse. (singing it Broadway-style) You think I own it? I DOOOOON'T OOOOOWWN IIIIIT!!! I WIIISH I DIIIIIID! But that's CARTOOOOOOOOOON NETWOOOOORK'S JOOOOOOB! It's so SAAAA—(readers smack Blowfish upside the head)**

**Readers: GET ON WITH IT, WE WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO NIGHTWING!!!**

**Blowfish: Sorry. Jeez. Anyway, here it comes! Chapter nine is here!**

* * *

"Shit." 

"Ya got that right, hero," the man laughed. "Now, whaddya want? Shoot up your arms and legs and let you die of blood loss, or just pump yer brains full of lead?"

A cold, twisted lump formed in Nightwing's stomach. He had studied the room at least ten times in the thirty seconds since he had discovered this elaborate trap, but he could find no way out. He was stuck in quicksand and sinking fast.

Despite all of this, he knew he had to stay cool. "Or you could just let me go."

"Now _there's _a concept. But ya know…" The man lifted his gun and everyone else followed his lead. "I've never been the type to negotiate. 'Specially not with some dumb bird."

"Aww, is someone ornithophobic?"

All of the mobsters looked around, trying to identify the source of this voice. Nightwing, however, knew the voice quite well. His eyes darted towards the shadow behind the leader, where he could see a distinct pair of glowing white eyes. He could hardly keep from grinning.

"Who's that?" the man yelled. "We'll shoot yer fuckin' head off!"

"Oooh, I'm _so _scared." The voice laughed. "You can't even find me." The man paused. He thought about what his superior had said during their briefing.

_"Look, you bastards, you are _not _screwing this up. Now, we're thinkin' if Boss is right, someone else is gonna come and wreck the mission. If you hear someone talkin', but you can't see the little shit, just fire at the shadows. Trust me, it'll work."_

He spun around and looked at his own shadow, where a pair of white eyes widened. He shot off three rounds into the ground. When he stopped firing, the eyes were gone.

"Nice try, bringin' help. But you're dead now," he snarled at Nightwing.

The vigilante twitched.

Everybody fired and the room went black. The strange darkness swirled thick like pudding and Nightwing was suddenly unable to breathe. He reached around frantically, trying to latch onto anything that could keep him from losing his balance. He was adept at holding his breath, but he found that this strange power was squeezing his chest, constricting his windpipe. On top of that, he couldn't see. The blackness was a vacuum through which no light could penetrate. He felt someone grab him around the waist and thrust him through the window.

Air! Glorious air rushed through Nightwing's lungs, making his head spin. Colored spots danced in front of his eyes. He took deep, gasping breaths, closing his eyes. When he opened them, he looked around, finding that he had indeed been moved. Looking up, he saw a cloaked figure standing over him.

"You okay?" Raven asked.

"I've been better," Nightwing sputtered, sitting up. "That's a new trick. Nice."

"I try."

"So…how'd you know I was in trouble? Telepathy?"

Raven chuckled. "Nah, I can only do that close-range. I was coming to talk to you and I was taking a shortcut through the red-light district. Dumb luck. Idiot luck, really."

"Mmm." Nightwing shuddered at the thought of what might have happened had Raven not come. "So, did you want to talk about our mob problem?"

"Err…no."

"Hmm?"

"Uhh…ah, this is gonna sound so stupid…"

"Raven…?"

"How do you do it?"

"Mmm?"

"You're a manager at an international corporation, you've attended all of the dinners that you need to for business, you're engaged to the love of your life, and _somehow,_ _SOMEHOW_ you still find time to single-handedly protect Gotham City. How the hell is that possible?"

"Uhh…that's what you came for? Advice?"

"Yes. I…I'm a two-bit reporter with a loose schedule, I run around that godforsaken city at all hours, and I _still_ can't catch close to half of the criminals messing with it, orsit down to a nice dinner, or get close to eight hours, or spend more than five minutes with my friends, or have a boyfri—" she cut herself off, blushing madly. "I just…maybe there's some trade secret all of the rest of the incognito superheroes haven't let me in on about how to have a personal life."

Nightwing put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey. For one thing, I've been keeping Gotham relatively clean long enough that half of the guys I catch aren't even _trying_ to break out of jail. You've been over there in that shit-hole for what? A month?" Raven let out a small smile.

"Also, I don't protect it single-handedly. Whether they like me or not, the cops are sort of helping me. And there's another big difference between us: I'm strictly a nighttime guy, and you're at it all the time. Heck, if only everyone knew how much I sleep in my office when no one's around! I'd be out of that building before you could say 'utility belt'!" Raven chuckled.

"And as for Gar…" Raven reddened. "Oh, don't even act like it's not him. As for him, don't worry. You'll work it out."

"How?" she whispered. Nightwing paused, looking thoughtful. Then he smiled.

"You love each other. You'll figure something out." She shook her head.

"He loves _Rae._ Not Raven." Nightwing grinned deviously.

"Well, I happen to know a green elf who still loves Raven. Quite a bit, actually." Before Raven could say anything else, Nightwing fired his grappling hook to a nearby building and swung off from the roof.

* * *

Gar was in a very bad mood. He had a splitting headache (made worse by his sensitive ears that picked up almost any sound), his agent was late, and the ever-decaying mound of rubbish that was his love life was being shoved in his face by nearby couples. He groaned and slumped in his seat. The café waiter asked him if there was anything he could do for him, and Gar decided to order a veggie burger to silence his grumbling stomach. 

"Hey, fry-boy!"

Gar looked up to see a woman with brown curls smiling at him. His mind was blank for a few seconds, but then it finally came to him: She was the lady from the McDonalds that he had talked to a month ago. He was stunned that she remembered him, and told her so.

"I never forget a face," she said. "Especially a famous one."

"I'm flattered."

"Heh, s'nothing."

"You wanna sit down?" he asked suddenly.

"Sure."

So she sat down and they started to talk. Gar learned that her name was Alison (and she hated it when people called her Ali), her favorite color was purple, she was a secretary at Leever Inc. (A/N: Anybody remember that name? Hmm? If you don't, go re-read that first chapter!), she was dating a sexy Puerto Rican man named Manuel, and she loved to go see plays and stand-up comedians, which was why she recognized him when they first met.

"But I bet you get that all the time," she added.

"Yes, actually," he laughed. "Sometimes I wish I didn't."

"So…I've been meaning to ask… How's it going with the tomato?"

Gar paused, remembering the slightly embarrassing visuals he'd used to describe the state of his relationship with Rae. He blushed a bit, and she grinned.

"Good, eh?" Gar's thoughts suddenly flooded with his last encounter with Rae.

"Umm…no, not so good, actually."

"Was my advice that bad?"

"No! It was fine, and it would have helped, but…she's…she's made her choice, I guess."

"Oh…someone else?"

"No…let's just say she's very dedicated to her work."

"Job in the way? That sucks."

"You don't know the half of it."

"Huh…so is this girl pretty?"

Gar was a bit surprised by this question, and found himself blushing even more. "Yes. Very."

"Ah…are her eyes blue?"

"Yeah. I'm a bit of a sucker for blue-eyed chicks."

"Dark blue? We talkin' midnight blue?"

"Umm…yes."

"…Is her hair a weird color?"

Gar was getting more and more freaked out by the second. "…Yes."

"Bluish?"

"All right, how—?!" It was then that he realized that Alison wasn't looking at him, but staring straight past him. He very slowly turned around to see a very familiar face in the window staring back at him. With a flash of dark hair, the person was gone. Gar jumped up and ran out the door, looking around frantically.

She wasn't there.

Gar felt his knees on the ground and Alison's hand on his shoulder, shaking him, and her voice telling him to snap out of it. But he wasn't really registering any of it. All that was going through his head was that thought: She wasn't there. She would never be there. And it was all his fault. All his fault…

"Gar?"

"I let her go…" he whispered.

"Mmm?"

"…Nothing."

"You ain't gonna have a nervous breakdown, right? 'Cause you'd be paying for cab that I'd call to take you home."

Gar let out a chuckle and stood up. "S'okay, I'll be fine."

"See, with the whole falling down and shaking like hell thing, I kinda doubt that."

"No, really…I'm fine. It was nice talking to you. Have a nice life with Manuel."

"Gar!"

But Gar had already immersed himself in the crowd. He had to figure a way to make it work. He would make it work, somehow. Because if he didn't, he wasn't sure what he'd do.

* * *

Rae slumped down by the lamppost and hid her face in her hands. Her mind and her heart were arguing violently. She wanted to scream, but she stayed calm and listened closely to the fight. 

'That bastard! He said he loved you, and what does he do? He goes and finds some pretty girl to use as his trophy!'

'Don't be stupid. You let him go, _you_ made the choice. And for the record, you said you loved him, not the other way around.'

'But he should've at least tried…!'

'_You_ had a month to try. So did he. If you can't do this, maybe it just wasn't meant to be.'

There was a long pause. Rae had never even considered that, but it seemed like a perfectly logical explanation. Rae plus Gar equals disaster, and that was all there was to it. If Gar wanted to get over her and find someone else, there was no harm in that. None at all.

So why did it hurt so much?

'Because you love him. And nothing you can think or say or do can change that.'

Rae walked in an almost zombie-like state through the city. People bumped into her and threw her dirty looks, some stared at her, and a few friends waved, but she knew none of this. All that she saw was distorted and was just a huge swirl of color. She opened the door to her building and silently crept past the other apartments. She climbed the stairs and fumbled for her keys in her bag. She unlocked her door and went inside, and suddenly realized exactly how dirty and small and pathetic her apartment was, and how her life had taken a nosedive in the past month. She threw her bag in the corner, where it made a loud thump and the hem of her cloak hung out. She stopped and pulled the cloak and held it out in front of her. It was stained with sweat, dirt, and blood. And for some reason, Rae wanted nothing more than to rip it to pieces. But she didn't. Somehow, she found the will to stuff it back in her bag. She unplugged her phone cord, locked her door, and turned out all the lights. And then, Rae did something she had not done since she was very small.

She curled up in a ball on her bed and cried.

**_

* * *

And we'll all float on OK_**

**_And we'll all float on OK_**

**_And we'll all float on OK_**

**_And we'll all float on anyway, well—_**

"Terry, are you even listening?"

Terry nodded at Karen, though he could barely hear a word she was saying. He loved to listen to her talk, but a three-hour rant was where he drew the line. He had his CD player hidden under his shirt, and he had arranged his hair so that his headphones were concealed. She mad a face at him.

"Are you gonna say _anything?_" she asked, looking irritated.

Terry just nodded dumbly, hoping that she wouldn't notice…

"I _knew _it!"

Terry braced himself for a slap upside the head, but it didn't come. He looked at Karen to see her happily scrolling on her computer screen. He shut off Modest Mouse.

"OK," he said. "I'll bite. What did you find?"

"OK…now, Rae went to college, right?"

"So I've been told. Bachelor's Degree in Journalism, she said."

"Right. I've seen it. And I found Rae's records, right?"

"Right."

"Good scores on the SATs."

"Mmm. She's smart."

"Full credits with no extracurricular activities."

"Well, not everybody likes to be social."

"That doesn't seem odd to you?"

He shrugged. "I knew people who didn't have any, and they got into college."

"OK…but that's not really what I found that's so interesting."

"…Wait a sec, what site are you getting Rae's records off of? Is that even possible?"

"I have my sources."

"Your sources? What _kind_ of sources?!"

"Not important. But get this: I can't find where she went to high school."

"What?"

"I've searched my sources—"

"—your very _illegal_-sounding sources—"

"—And it's as if…it's like she didn't exist before she took the SATs."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…there's nothing. A driver's license, a social security number, a bank account…but nothing before she was eighteen. This just isn't right."

"What now?"

Karen paused, and she began to flip a quarter between her fingers—a sure sign that she was thinking very hard. After a few moments, she caught the coin in her hand—the sign that she had thought of her next big idea. Terry held back the urge to sigh romantically. He loved how Karen looked when she was getting an idea.

"We still don't know who Raven's family is or what happened to them, do we?"

Terry grinned, catching on. "No, we don't."

"Well, who says she's lying to us?" She took out her notepad and wrote Terry, Rae, John, and her own name. She circled her own name and Terry's, and crossed out John's. "Maybe she's just having trouble keeping her story straight, and she let it slip to us. And that means that John's out in the dark."

"Maybe."

"All we need to do is track down her parents."

"Right. Now all we need to do is go ask Rae for her birth certificate."

Karen groaned, and flipped the quarter between her fingers rapidly. Terry was right; this was getting to the point where they would really need to buckle down. It was her journalistic nature—somehow, she would get the truth.

"…Unless you have another one of your not-so-legal-sources," he said, looking mischievous. She grinned, catching the quarter.

"You know? I just might."

* * *

"So Vic, how did your meeting with Carl go?" 

"Hmm?"

"Carl? Carl Leever? (A/N: FIRST CHAPTER!!!) The man you called a saint and said the next time you saw him you'd offer to wax his car?" Sarah laughed.

"Ohhh…_that_ Carl," Vic said. "It went well; he's really excited about Project Cyborg. Can't blame him, it's gonna revolutionize the way the whole world does labor, experiments…man, it's gonna be great!"

"Mmm-hmm. Hey Vic?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you…like to go to dinner tomorrow night?"

"Mmm?"

"Dinner."

"Mmm."

"With me."

"Oh."

"You don't want to?"

"No! It would be nice…you mean like a date?"

"It doesn't have to be."

"Oh. Just…dinner between friends?"

"Yeah. That sounds nice."

"Nice." Vic went back to his papers nervously while Sarah fidgeted.

"...Do you _want_ it to be a date?"

"Do _you _want it to be a date?"

"I asked you first."

"I asked you second."

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"So?! If you want me to want you to want me to want it to be a date, then fine!"

"…WHAT?!?"

"IT'S A DATE!"

There was a long, uncomfortable silence. Vic set down his papers and sighed.

"When can I pick you up?"

"Hm?" Sarah said.

"For the date. When can I pick you up?"

"Seven's fine. Is that okay with you?"

"Seven? Absolutely! Seven's fine! Seven's great! Seven in heaven!" He quickly covered his mouth, realizing he was spouting mindless gibberish.

"All right, then. Seven."

"Seven," Vic agreed. Sarah turned back to her computer.

'Glad as hell I got that out of my system,' she thought.

"Where are we going?"

Sarah banged her head against the wall and groaned.

* * *

The bright sun of Wednesday morning shone down on Jump City. Many were basking in its wonderful warm glow, while others found that the light made them feel much more energetic than on the cloudy days that had been plaguing them as of late. However, there was a certain editor-in-chief who wasn't finding the sun to be very relaxing. 

"ROTH!"

'Goddammit, I was almost out!' Rae thought, turning to face her boss. His face was beet-red—and it wasn't from embarrassment.

"Roth, you arrive just before the deadline with your articles, and you are getting increasingly sloppy. So, pray tell: _WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO YOU?!_ You're a great journalist, and you're just doing this crap to keep me from firing you!"

"But sir, things have been complicated latel—"

"—Roth. Listen to me. I'll put it in small sentences. If you don't do better, you are in bad shape."

Rae grinned nervously. "How bad is bad shape?"

"You'll be out of a job. Get the hell out of my office, and go do some real work, not this…this crap."

Rae sighed and started to walk. 'If only he knew…'

"And Roth!" Rae turned back to Connery. "I don't say this to many people, so listen good. I respect you." Rae looked stunned. "You're an asset to this paper, and for some reason you've just been screwing around like a high school kid lately. I don't get it, and I won't tolerate it. I don't like to see people I respect flush themselves down the toilet." Rae just stood there in shocked silence. "_Now_ get the hell out of my office."

"Yessir."

Rae walked out the doors to the Jump City Herald building, looking thoughtful. Warren Connery respected her. That was something. That was really something. She suddenly remembered what her new assignment was: Raven had been active lately, and they needed a full article on her recent war on crime. She smiled.

'You want a story, Connery? Leave it to me.'

* * *

"So, they didn't kill him?" the man known as Boss asked. 

"…No," Sherman answered. "Raven interfered, sir."

"Mmm. As I expected. Friends help each other out, yes?"

"Of course, sir."

"But Nightwing's busy tonight…that I've made sure of. You've sent word, Sherman?"

"Yes sir. Gerald told the men: 'Keep 'im on a wild goose-chase for tonight.'"

"That's right," Boss said. He walked over to where it was, the great Behemoth, glinting in the dim light. "This time, I will not be deterred. For Raven, there will be no interference."

* * *

Vic was straightening his favorite shirt to perfection; that point one reaches where it looks not so straight that it seems as if you actually thought about how it looked, but not so rumpled as to look sloppy. When he decided that he had reached that point, he put on his jacket, pet Sparky goodbye, and locked the door behind him. 

He drove down the street in his stylish blue car, cranking up the heat to shield against the bitter cold outside. His friends were impressed by such a nice, expensive looking car, but the truth was, it was just the old T-Car—with a new paint job, of course. He couldn't take any chances of it being recognized, especially with Raven running around, stirring up old debates about the Teen Titans.

"You'd think they'd just let sleeping dogs lie," he muttered. 'Then again,' he thought. 'I guess one of the dogs is awake, eh? Two, really, but it's not like anyone knows Robin's Nightwing.' He pulled into Sarah's driveway, his thoughts switching back to the present situation.

'Okay Stone, just wing it like you always do. Lay on some of that good ol' charm, things will be fine…' He knocked on the door and pulled out the flowers he had brought.

"Victor!" Sarah opened the door, wearing a wonderful (and quite sexy) midnight black dress and high heels. Vic was silent, as he was focusing all of his will power on not picturing Sarah naked—a task that was becoming exceedingly difficult. "Flowers!" she squealed. "You're sweet, ya know that?"

"Mmmgeheh," was all that Vic could say.

Sarah smiled at him. He was like a teenage boy, bringing flowers on the first date, looking more nervous than he needed to be. She chuckled.

"I just need to say goodbye to Bryan. Be back in a second." She went in the house, where Bryan, Michael, and his older brother, Alfonse, were playing cards. Alfonse was showing the boys how to play BS. "Thanks for watching Bryan tonight, Al."

"No problem, Ms. C.," Alfonse said, giving her a salute. Sarah walked over and gave Bryan a kiss on the head.

"I'll be back soon, honey."

"I know," he muttered.

"Have a nice time."

"I will. You too."

Sarah walked back to the door, where Vic was waiting with his arm drawn out, looking considerably calmer.

"Shall we?"

* * *

Raven was finished with her project that she had been working on for months: A transmitter that picked up police radio communications. She smiled at her handiwork and popped the device in her ear. No more waiting to hear police sirens. Just as she tapped the button on it to make it work, she could hear every conversation they were having on their radios all over town. 

'Who says Cyborg didn't teach me anything?'

Raven was soaring over the city, listening now to a certain call that had caught her ear.

"This is car 62…car 62 calling for backup…we got some sort of giant robot down by the park…over."

She grinned. A giant robot. It was ridiculous situations like this that made her think of the good old days. She sped towards the park, and almost popping her head off when she stopped. There was indeed a rather large robot walking through the park; walking was hardly an adequate term to describe its movement. It was flattening everything in its path, not stopping for anything.

'It's looking for something,' she thought. 'It must be, otherwise it wouldn't be—SHIT!' Raven barely dodged the laser that cut through the air right where she had been just a split second before. The Behemoth's eye was smoking, and its attention now appeared to be on Raven.

"You want me, big guy?" she yelled, already flying towards it. "YOU GOT ME!" She shot a blast of dark energy at it. It stumbled backwards, but bounced back surprisingly quickly, thrusting a fist back at her. She flew backwards and out of its reach. "HA!"

It was only after her triumphant shout that Raven realized she was staring down the barrel of a sonic cannon.

The blast sent her flying through the park. She couldn't really differentiate one tree from another—she only knew that she smashed through quite a few of them. All she heard was the rush of air and the splintering of wood, coming to an abrupt halt and a loud CRACK!

Raven's pounding head blocked out most of the other pain that she was in. The only thing she could really feel was the distant pain of something being lodged in her left thigh. Her eyes were closed and she could hear a distant sound…

TOMPH.

TOMPH.

TOMPH.

It was the sound of the robot stomping towards her. Raven's mind was overcome with panic, sending countless messages to her body to _move, get up!_ Her aching body was ignoring the commands for the most part. She finally forced her lids up and saw that there was indeed a tree fragment stuck in her leg. Seeing it suddenly made it seem a lot more painful. She groaned and put her hand on her forehead, only to find that something was different. It was as if something was trying to get through to her brain, but she couldn't quite register what it was. She lay confused and dazed, running her fingers through her hair…

'SON OF A _BITCH! MY HOOD!!!_'

The Behemoth towered over her, its red eye focused straight on her. The eye began to glow, and Raven pulled the piece of wood out of her leg (rather painfully) and rolled down the hill she was on. The laser fired just a second after she rolled, leaving a smoldering crater where she had been.

Raven rolled all the way to the bottom of the hill—unable to fight gravity with her injured leg—and pulled her hood back up over her face. No one had seen her. She looked back to her leg—and quickly looked away again. She couldn't stand, but she could still fly.

'And if I can still fly, then I can still fight.'

The robot had found her again, and took a long sweep with its hand. She levitated right over it and flew past it. In her condition, she would need some additional materials…

Raven flew up roughly 100 feet, looking around for something—_anything—_that could help her beat this thing. All she saw were trees and benches. 'Wood won't do any good…and it's not like a bench will help put much of a dent in that thing either.' She kept scanning, and then she saw something: A playground. 'Now _that _could help.'

Suddenly, another red laser blast shot at her. This time, it did not miss. Raven clutched her side, cursing herself for not seeing it coming. She flew down and swerved around the giant, making a beeline for the playground. She came to a halt by the swing set.

Raven focused and chanted, uprooting the metal structure. She waved her hands and it twisted and contracted into a ball. She increased her chanting, and it melted in to a condensed metal sphere. The Behemoth was upon her now, but she was ready. She spun and shot the metal ball right into its eye.

It sparked for a moment, and then exploded.

The cops arrived a few minutes later, only to find the Behemoth destroyed. They collected its remains and after some investigating, deduced that Raven had been involved. The lieutenant sent out orders to cover the whole area, and look for her.

But she was already quite far away.

Raven muttered and cursed, realizing that even if she made to made it to her apartment—something that was becoming more and more unlikely by the second—there was no way she would be able to stop or at least slow her bleeding before passing out. Her healing and regenerative powers were good, but not _that _good. Hospitals were out of the question. There was only one place she could go.

She just hoped she could make it in time.

* * *

Vic was floating on a cloud of pure bliss. His date with Sarah had been nothing short of perfect. They had really hit it off. He sighed romantically—something which he _never_ did—and reached in his pocket for his keys as he approached. He could faintly hear his dog barking inside. 

'Must've forgotten to feed him,' Vic thought. He unlocked the door and went inside. The barking grew more insistent.

"Okay, boy! I'll get you somethin' to eat! Chill!" Vic grumbled. He was very disturbed when he didn't find Sparky waiting by his food bowl. He was even more unnerved when he found that the bowl had barely been touched. "Sparky…?" He walked farther into his apartment. If anybody in the next apartment had been awake, they might've heard a gasp and the soft thump of Vic dropping his jacket.

Sparky was standing over Raven, who was lying on the floor in a growing pool of blood.

**

* * *

Blowfish: I'm sure you all are pissed. I just couldn't resist. Mwahahahahaha. Anyway…reviews kick ass. So review!**


	10. Love and Hate

**Blowfish: If you didn't see the new ep "Birthmark", I suggest you slap yourself several times. I have one word for that ep:**

**BAAAAAAADAAAAAAAAASSSS…**

**It rocked, dammit! Hey you! Person that hasn't seen that ep! GO WATCH IT! Btw, sorry for taking an obscenely long amount of time to update. I got reviews…**

**The Gemini Sage: Yes! I have converted another!**

**Raven-fans: OUR POWER IS GROWING!**

**The Gemini Sage: Karen and Terry's investigation will be quite interesting, though it won't be the subject of this particular chapter. Yes, poor Rae is under the misconception that Gar doesn't love her—which will be expanded upon.**

**Eilian Rhoss: Glad you liked that chap, and I hope you enjoy this one just as much.**

**Slade's Downfall: Thanks!**

**TitansFan: Yes, wood shoved in one's leg would be quite painful. I am feeling quite stupid for not thinking of the mask for Starfire—I guess she never seemed like the mask type to me. nn; Ah well… Heh, if I were Robin, I would've whacked Star too. How does he put up with it, honestly? Don't worry, Star's definitely in this chap (there is a very high demand for her). She'll be in the picture a LOT in the next few chapters. And fluff there shall be mwahahahaha!**

**stella-s55: Yep, I know what it's like to be pissed about a cliffy. But they're so fun to write… nn**

**Black Raven: Glad you like it!**

**lil' LIK Star: You'll just have to see… I love Cy; he's so fun for doing funny stuff. He's all tough, so I thought, "Heh, this guy would freak out on an official date!" And don't worry, Star is not forgotten! She just wasn't really important to the last chap.**

**Rose: At first, I was hesitant about pairing Vic with anyone (Cy is so abused in the pairing department, I thought maybe he deserved to be cut a little slack), and when I stuck Sarah in, I thought, "Jesus, am I just outing him in the story?" But I've decided to make Sarah cooler than the average non-Titan character, so I could stand her. And I actually like her now! Don't worry, btw, RobStar fluff is on the way! Reviews keep the monsters at bay? Hmm…**

**Monsters: RAAAGHR!**

**Reviewers: Screw off!**

**Monsters: (run away)**

**apERFECtcircle: Yes, blood and gore is fun. BBRae is the best! Sunday Bloody Sunday? Wow, that's ironic. Night of Chaos, hm? CHAOS ROCKS!**

**Kevin: WHOO! I AM THE CHAOS LORD!**

**Readers: …Whoa, we totally lost you just now.**

**TTJLFan: Raven's condition is mine to know, and yours to find out…unless you just read the chapter. :I And as for her thing with Gar…I've got a lot of things planned, none of which can be divulged at this time.**

**Chimpy: Geez…you sound like a politician.**

**K9: Heh, Mad Mod, right? (Or Revolution? Or some other show involving a crazed British guy that I'm not thinking of?) Heh, you'll see.**

**theKRITIC: Yep, cliffies are really fun to write. And I mean REALLY fun. Go write one, it feels good!**

**Punky munkey: You did? So did my brother, he said it was great. I might just have to rent it. I bet the next chapter will be long-awaited too…I'm such a terrible updater. nn;**

**ninmenju-shin: OW! (rubs shin) Once I put the fry-tomato analogy in here, I knew at some point, I would HAVE to put that line in, too. It would suck if Raven died. Anyway… I never thought of what breed Cy's dog would be. Huh...I'll stick that in here, I guess! CSI ROCKS, I LOVE THAT SHOW! But not any of its spin-offs, weirdly enough. I'll stick with the original, thank you very much. Aww, apology cake? GIMME! (eats cake)**

**The Mad shoe1: Thanks a lot!**

**TIGERGRRrr: Nooo! Don't stop! Here's your update, just don't speak of such rash things!**

**dogearredangel13: I know, I suck. Switching modes, hm? I do that sometimes. A good romance always makes me giddy too. They're just so fun.**

**Gecko Osco: I've got H/W I'm supposed to be doing right now, actually…my mom's gonna skin me alive, man. nn; It doesn't mean you have no life! At least, I hope not…because that would mean I have no life, either… oO;**

**Taiba: You were in ****Israel****? How was it? Ah yes, I did put a tad more profanity than usual, didn't I? Yay! Fangirlish duties restart!**

**cRiTiC123: Don't worry; this is going to be a nice, romance-ridden chapter/story!**

**Exiled-Knight: Yes, Raven's pain is so wonderful to read about.**

**Raven: (flips Blowfish the bird)**

**Exiled-Knight: Yep, Dick's all right. And I know what you mean; I recently got finished with exams. TOTAL HELLFIRE.**

**AlwaysWrite: Glad to have you back. And you're an author now! Awesome! Yep, Nightwing thought it would be prudent to show Raven that not all hope is lost. Actually, I find your analyses to be rather astute. Half of the things you point out I hadn't really paid attention to, but now find them to be good points to focus on. I thought it would be fun to make you guys panic by putting Nightwing in a situation he COULDN'T get out of for once—the guy ain't invincible. There's gonna be some pretty fierce interaction with Raven and Vic, so I hope you enjoy it!**

**RobinluvsStar: Don't worry, Star's gonna get oodles of screen time this chapter.**

**The Last: I'm glad you like it that much! So you liked the five monkeys thing? And the fry-tomato? Yes! Thanks!**

**WolfosTerrence: Wow, you are one dedicated reviewer. Thanks for that. And as for Boss…he'll be up to a lot of things, that's for sure. He's got his fingers in every pie, so to speak.**

**AzhureTigress: Eh, it's no biggie. You're reviewing now, right? I appreciate it! Yeah, future fics are pretty popular. I'm glad you like mine so much. Patient, eh? You're a better person than I…I'm not patient at all. XD Cool lil' quote at the end, btw.**

**Kaylina the Gerudo: I would sell them too…but then I'd get sued. Damn copyright laws. :P Glad you like it!**

**Lauren1792: Glad it was useful. Yeah, there's gonna be a lot of hero injury in this story…I mean, a LOT. nn;**

**MysticMoon: I'm assuming you're talking about the cliffie. You're not the type to swear? You're a better person than I…#! Hope you didn't do whatever you were thinking of, 'cause the update is here!**

**mew-xena: Shell-shocked, eh? Vile deranged monkeys? I CONTROL VILE DERANGED MONKEYS, MWAHAHAHAHA! Thanks a lot for all of your compliments. Here's the update!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans. If I did, Brother Blood would've been…I dunno, a LOT cooler.**

**"talking" 'thinking' _Tamaranian _COMPUTER (bold)**

**Blowfish: It took me three pages to answer you guys…wow. I'd like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who's been reading this. It really makes my day.**

* * *

Raven wasn't sure when she actually regained consciousness—it depends on what one defines as consciousness. First, she became aware that she was in pain. Not the worst she'd been in, not by far, but still in a considerable amount of pain. She was also aware that she was not moving. At all. And no matter how much she silently begged herself to move, she couldn't. She wasn't sure how long this lasted, but after what seemed like hours, she managed to move her hand a bit. Encouraged by this accomplishment, she attempted to speak. Her vocal cords indeed vibrated, but all that escaped was: 

"Mmphmehh…"

This did not please her. Raven was a person who liked being in control, and loss of ability to move or speak freely was really starting to irritate her. However, she could still hear—which would have been fortunate had wherever she was not been silent.

Raven's hand moved a little more. Her eyelids fluttered slightly. 'Come on,' she told her body. 'Move! All together now!' Raven focused all of her will power on her torso. She felt the muscles in her stomach contract. She began to lift herself slightly. 'That's it! Now, the arms!' Her arms went under her and helped support. It took a while, but Raven finally managed to sit up and open her eyes.

Raven surveyed her surroundings. Her cloak was hanging on a dresser knob. She was on a bed, in a bedroom, alone. Not completely alone, she discovered—there was a German Shepard asleep at the foot of the bed. She leaned over and scratched him behind his ears, and he stirred.

"Hey, boy," she said, her voice sounding like it wasn't quite fit for use yet. "Can you tell me where I am?" She felt stupid asking the dog, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't remember where she was or why. She did know, however, that there was a definite reason. Her brain was foggy, and she wasn't sure what she had been doing. The dog sat up and licked her face. She laughed softly. "Glad you like me, even if you can't help me."

The dog suddenly leapt off the bed and went out the door, barking loudly. She heard a groan and the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. An irritated voice was berating someone—most likely the dog, as Raven heard the words "pain-in-the-ass mutt". The dog came back in, followed by—

"Vic!" Raven said, a wave of relief washing over her. _Now _she remembered—she had gone to him for help and collapsed in his apartment. Vic smiled.

"You're up," he said. The German Shepard jumped on the bed and started licking Raven's face again. "I think he likes you."

"So _this_ is Sparky."

"Yeah, he's big, but he's not tough at all. Seriously, I've seen Corgis that make him look like a total wuss. But I love him."

"Heh… Hey, thanks."

Vic's face hardened. "Damn straight! You have _any_ idea how much I _freaked_, seeing you on the carpet bleeding! I mean…somehow, 'I told you so' just doesn't quite say it."

"Look, if I could've gone anywhere else, I would've."

There was a long silence. Vic just looked at her, but her face revealed nothing. Sparky curled up by Raven, sensing the tension.

"…Did I leave a stain?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"I was bleeding. Did I leave a stain on your carpet?"

"Well—"

DING-DONG!

"—Crap." Vic paused. "Stay in here." He rushed to the door and opened it. It was Sarah.

"Hey there," Sarah said brightly.

"Hey. What's up?"

"Remember how I asked you to hold my cell phone last night?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I think I left it with you; I can't find it anywhere."

"Oh…OK, I'll go get it, you just wait here and—"

"Can I come in?"

"Uh…this isn't the best time. The ol' bachelor pad looks like a pigsty."

"I don't mind—you've seen my house, it's a disaster area."

"Um…sure, what the hell?" he said, smiling weakly. Sarah walked in and spotted the large red stain on the floor.

"Oh my God! What's that from?"

"Uh…red wine! I dropped a bottle of red wine!"

"Red wine? You can afford _red wine_?"

"It was a gift."

"And you dropped it? That's too bad."

"Yeah. Look, I probably left it in my jacket in my room, so I'll go get it." He started off for his room, and Sarah followed him. "Uh…my room's a mess, you don't wanna see it."

"It's fine," she said, stepping towards the door. He stepped in front of her.

"No, really, it's terrible. A real war zone. I'll just slip in and slip out, you know?"

"Vic, it's fine, I don't care." She kept trying to step around him, but he kept stepping in front of her. "Victor—" Before either of them could say anything more, Sparky came running out to sniff Sarah. He pushed the door wide open with his nose, and Vic looked inside, steeling himself for Sarah's worst reaction.

There was no one in there.

Vic looked around, feeling panicked. Raven was gone. Sarah was cooing at Sparky and telling Vic how his dog was "absolutely too cute", but he wasn't listening. His eyes darted around frantically—the cloak was still on his dresser. He quickly stuffed it in one of his drawers.

"See what I mean?" he said laughing nervously. "Total pigsty."

"Hmm. Well, it ain't good, but it ain't _that _bad," she said. "Now where's your jacket?" Vic was about to answer, but he was too horrified by the fact that Raven was hanging from the ceiling right behind Sarah. Raven pointed at her and cocked her eyebrow in a mischievous way. Vic felt his face flush.

"Vic? You okay?" Sarah asked.

"Me? Oh, uh…yeah!" he practically yelled. "Peachy!" Sarah gave him a look, and Raven imitated her.

"Are you sure?" Sarah put a hand to her chin, and Raven did the same. "You seem kind of…wired."

"Yeah, well, I just drank a _lot _of coffee, and I'm in rare form today, ya know?" Vic was getting desperate, and Raven flapping her fingers like a mouth behind Sarah wasn't helping. He had to get _one _of them out of here. Raven grinned and jerked her head in the direction of his jogging suit that was draped over the couch. "Wanna go for a jog?"

"Hmm…I do need the exercise. But it's a bit cold, isn't it?"

"We'll be warm if we jog! And we can pick up some coffee!"

"I think coffee is the _last _thing you need. But I would like the jog."

"Great! I'll be back in a sec!" He grabbed his jogging suit off of the couch and dashed into his bedroom. He flung off his shirt and pants, getting on his suit as quickly as possible. He could hear Raven snickering behind him.

"Women who date you must have odd tastes," she said.

"Shut it. You've been the one making me crazy!"

"Yeah, well, you can chill out. She'd be out there for four more hours waiting for you—she loves that dog to death."

"Sparky's a real chick magnet."

"I cannot believe you just used the term 'chick magnet' in front of me."

"Hey, it takes a long time to find a companion who'll live with you, not piss on your floor, and attract girls. Some of us aren't Gar Logan, ya know." There was a long silence, followed by a weak chuckle from Raven.

"I still can't believe it…he was so dorky when we were kids, you know?"

"Yeah." He paused. He had really been dancing around what he wanted to say. "So…how's hero life treating you?"

"Ahh…gloriously. What with all the police suspicion, late nights, overdue reports, lack of sleep, and my nonexistent social life."

"Well—"

"And I'll kill you if you say 'I told you so.' I've had it up to here with you and Gar and all of your crap."

"We were kind of trying to help you avoid this."

"Shut it. My life has become one giant pile of convoluted bullshit, and I really don't need you on my back about it."

"You seem more pissed than I expected."

"Gee, thanks."

"What's up?"

"…"

"If it has to do with Gar…I just gotta say it, Raven—you had your chance. A big whopping one. You passed it up."

"…Yeah, I know."

"So no more whining about it, then! It was all your choice, and you made it."

"…Does it ever nag at you?"

"What?"

"The guilt. Late at night, when there's no work, no girlfriend, no TV on, and your dog is asleep—does the silence ever just tear you up?"

"…"

"I mean, not just…the bridge...but everything. Like that young man you heard got mugged. Or the woman you saw on the street that was raped. Does it ever just…eat at you, when you're alone?"

"…"

"Come on, Vic. Answer me. …Answer me, goddammit!"

"…Yes. So?"

"'So?' Is that all you can say?"

"No…that's just all I can give."

"That's a load of crap, and you know it."

"Look, maybe you should—"

"'So' is all normal people can give. You're not normal, Vic. Put on a suit, go in the assembly line like everyone else—I could still take that device out of your pocket and crush it, and you'd be exposed."

"…Shut up."

"No. I won't shut up. I won't shut up until you realize this dream you're living is a lie. You aren't just one of the guys, Vic. You've got a sonic cannon in your goddamn arm!"

Vic zipped up his suit and turned to face Raven. "I'm going jogging with Sarah. You oughta keep off that leg as much as you can. And watch your side, it's pretty burnt."

"_Don't_ walk away from me, Vic."

"_Goodbye_, Raven." He shut the door behind him. Raven sighed dejectedly and pulled her cloak out from his dresser. She opened the window and jumped out.

She would have to be at work in half an hour.

* * *

"_Ow!_ God, Star! Any more alcohol and I'd need a designated driver!" 

"Hush. And for the love of _X'hal_, hold still." She dabbed a bit more alcohol on the cut on Dick's arm. "It's deeper than most of the ones you get, and I'm not letting it get infected."

"Christ that stuff smarts…"

"Oh come on, you big baby. You've done this before."

"Yeah, but I didn't have a nagging fiancé to do it for me. Over and over again."

Star slid her arms around his neck. "I think I'm quite reasonable, thank you."

"Mmm," Dick grumbled, rubbing his arm. Star put a bandage on it and admired her work. Her husband-to-be grinned, taking the opportunity to quietly reassure her.

"I worry sometimes…all of the time, really," she whispered.

"Well, you shouldn't. I can take care of myself."

"Sometimes I wonder."

"Come on, I'm fine. Just a scratch."

"It is _not_ a scratch, and I'm _not _letting you think you're invincible."

"Not _this_ talk again..."

"If it weren't for Raven, who knows what could've happened the other night?"

"I know, she saved my ass—you know it, I know it, the American people know it. Now can we stop talking about it?" Star picked up the paper and put it in front of his face.

"Fine, we'll change the subject. Did you read about that giant robot that rampaged in Jump City Park yesterday?"

"This is _not_ changing the subject."

"Isn't it? We were talking about Raven saving you, and now we're talking about a giant robot the next city over—"

"—which Raven most likely destroyed, thus creating a way for you to worm your way back into the former subject."

"It is _not_."

"Ah, Star. I love you, but I have to tell you the truth: You are a _terrible _liar."

"Well not all of us were trained by the world's greatest secret-keeper."

"Mmm, true." Dick felt a little agitated having lost their argument. 'Hmm…I'll just have to get us in a better mood…I've got it!' He grinned and turned to Star.

"What?" she asked curious to see what his mind was concocting.

"Cow kiss!"

* * *

"Hey Rae!" Terry yelled, seeing his friend on a bench. He ran over and sat down next to her. "What's up?" 

"Not much," she said casually. "Just on my lunch break."

"Oh. Did you already eat?"

"I wasn't hungry."

"You've gotta eat something, Rae. I dunno what you're doing, but you're running yourself ragged."

"I know, but I'm just…not feeling very well today."

"Well then, take the day off!"

"I can't. Connery's counting on me. Did you get the pictures?"

"Hot from one-hour photo," Terry said, whipping out a small stack of pictures, the top ones depicting the remains of the giant robot. "Did you get the story?"

"This looks like a Raven, definitely. A few people saw her fly into the park, and one guy saw her leave."

"I knew it! She whooped that thing's ass! What was it, anyway?"

"The cops are running checks on it right now to see if there's anything on it that's useful. It's too soon to tell."

"But didn't they already put a story out?"

"That was just to say that it happened. No one really knows where it came from, though. That's the cops' job. And it's our job to tell everyone."

"Journalism rocks."

"Yep."

"The police are on a war path, though. They aren't pleased that Raven's around."

"Mmm."

"Jackasses don't like superheroes at all."

"Yeah…" Raven looked up at the sky, and Terry stuffed the pictures back in his bag.

"You wanna go get lunch? I know you said you weren't hungry, but maybe we could get Karen and go for a latte or something."

"Sure." Raven got up, wincing a little and rubbing her leg.

"Are you okay?" Terry asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah, I just…banged it on the table corner pretty hard this morning, you know?"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine. Lattes, yeah?"

"Yeah!"

* * *

Detective James Barfield walked into the cybernetics lab at Jump City Police Station. The cybernetics engineer, Osmond Hicks, was preparing his tools near the large metal scraps that used to be a robot.

"'Sup, Ozzie?"

"Not much. Just about to take this bitch apart—not that there's much left to do."

"Heh, tell me about it."

"Who does this to a steel robot?"

"I've been picking up leads…her name starts with an 'R' and ends in an 'N'."

"Ahh, Raven. Superheroes have never ceased to fascinate me."

"Mmm. I can't say I share your fondness—especially anything that was related to the Terrible T's."

Osmond sighed. "You guys really oughta get rid of whatever it is that's stuck up your asses."

"The North Bridge Incident is what is stuck up our asses, thank you very much. It's been stuck up there for ten years, and now that damn…that damn _Titan_ comes back to shove it up further." He spat the word "Titan" out as if he were muttering some obscenity.

"Well…I'd better get started. And you'd better get back to the case."

"Right." Just as James was about to walk out, Lenny, another detective, walked in.

"Hey, Ozzie," Lenny said. "Betty's got your wife on the line at the front desk. Somethin' about the lawyers." Osmond sighed.

"Two words: Pre-nuptial agreement. Make sure to get one, boys. I'll have to come back to this later." He put his blowtorch back on the counter. As the three of them walked out, they ran into a skinny man who, judging by his ring of keys and faded uniform, was the janitor.

"Just going to sweep up a bit in the lab," the janitor.

"Where's Eddie?" Lenny asked.

"Sick."

"Oh. Let yourself in, just don't—"

"—touch anything. I know."

The three men walked away and the janitor went into the lab. Once inside, he locked the door behind him. He slipped on a pair of rubber gloves and picked up the blowtorch. He searched the metal parts until he came to a large box-shaped piece. He burned a hole in it and reached inside. He pulled out a small, black box and smiled.

Putting the blowtorch exactly where it had been, he tucked the black box under his arm and went on his way.

* * *

Star parked her car in downtown Jump City and got out. She looked around until she saw a blond man with his face hidden behind a newspaper, sitting on a bench. She went over and sat next to him. 

"You rang?" she asked.

"Mmm," he said, folding the newspaper. It was Gar.

"What's up?"

"My life sucks."

"It doesn't."

"Yes, it does."

"How so?"

"Raven."

"Ohhhh…so this is about Rae."

"No. It's about Raven." Star took a water bottle from her bag and took a sip.

"What about her?"

"She's…she's ruining my life."

Star stared at him for a moment. He seemed to be trying to get his bearings. He folded and re-folded his legs.

"I mean…" He stopped short, trying to get it together. He finally resolved to just say what he meant. "She won't let me have it."

"What?"

"She's…she's in my way. I can't get around her. I'm a comedian, right? I stayed up until four in the morning, and I couldn't think of one funny thing that's happened to me. Not even ironic funny. I can _always_ think of something funny! But nothing's going right…I mean, my heart just isn't in it."

"How is this—"

"—Raven's fault? Because something that would've brightened my day without her around. I'm in love, dammit. And she took that away."

"Look, G—"

"No! Let me finish! It's always been like this! Raven, being cold and inconsiderate when I just wanted a friend; Raven, not stopping me from leaving you guys; Raven, taking Rae away from me just when I had finally gotten her to love me back; Raven, always standing in the way of what I want! What I _need_!"

"…So what did you ask me to come here for?" Gar slumped on the bench.

"I'm not sure. Maybe I just wanted to vent to someone. Or maybe I was wondering how you and Dick are engaged while Rae and I can't do anything with our relationship. And Dick can still somehow race around Gotham being the savior of hundreds. Is there something I'm missing?"

Star paused. "I do not think that it is so simple. When we all left…when the Titans became just a memory…I don't think that we ever quite shook off that part of us. I believe that, for a time, I was still Starfire, Dick was still Robin, Vic was still Cyborg, you were still Beast Boy, and Rae was still Raven. And I also think that we did our best to hide that. Dick dove into Wayne Enterprises, Vic buried himself in his work, you found your funny side, Rae put her writing skills to use, and I found the stage.

It is interesting, though…I do not believe I ever quite locked Starfire away. I still yearn for the freedom that is flight and the excitement of battle…though I suppose that is probably just Tamaranian instinct. And Dick didn't really lose Robin; he just grew up a little and became Nightwing. But you, Rae, and Vic…I think that you all did your best to never again let that side of yourselves see the light of day.

Rae, I suppose, let herself succumb to guilt. Her mind is a very strange, complex thing. Raven never really left, instead hanging on to what shred of control she had over Rae."

"Control?" Gar snorted. "You make it sound like Raven was some sort of brain tumor." Star smiled.

"Well, I guess I am going a bit overboard. But the bottom line is, Rae was only a shell. When she left the Titans, I think she thought she freed herself, just as we all did. But Rae Roth, Gar Logan, Vic Stone, Star Anderson, and Dick Grayson…we're all just secret identities. And you know what happens to secret identities."

"They get discovered."

"Yes. Going back to your question…I think the reason Dick and I can have this relationship is because I like him _and _Nightwing. I fell in love with Robin when I came to Earth. And as I said, Nightwing is only a more mature Robin. I think Raven and Beast Boy have always had something—they were just convinced that the other didn't like what they saw." Gar looked at her almost fearfully. "Isn't that right?"

"…Raven hated me. Every inch of me was a focal point of her hatred." Star sighed and stood up.

"Despite what many people think…love and hate are separated by a very thin line."

* * *

Boss sat in the darkness, quietly humming. His tune was one that Sherman had heard for the last few weeks, but it didn't make it any less disturbing. Sherman was contemplating the merits of leaving the room when a man walked in. The man had a faded janitor uniform on, and was carrying a black box under his arm. 

"I've got it, Boss," the man said. Boss turned around to face him.

"Good. Sherman, would you be so kind as to pay the man?" Sherman took out a clip of bills and handed it to the man, who immediately searched it for counterfeits. After a few seconds, he seemed satisfied and handed Sherman the box.

"Heh, thanks. I hope whatever's in that box helps ya out, Boss." He left the room.

"I'm sure it will. Sherman, please open the box." Sherman did so, and pulled out a disk about the size of a DVD. "Excellent. Now run the disk." Sherman went over to Boss's massive computer and inserted the disk. The screen flickered to life.

**PROCESSING…**

**VIDEO FILE ACCESSED. PLAY?**

Boss moved the mouse up to the 'yes' button and clicked.

**VIDEO FILE PLAYING…**

Images flashed across the screen. A woman in a blue cloak flying around, evading lasers, and then being hit by one. The last one blasted her through the trees. The camera zoomed in and—

"Computer! Freeze frame!" Boss commanded.

The video stopped. On the screen was the pale face of a young woman with blue eyes and dark hair.

"Well, well, well…" Boss chuckled. "Raven, you've just won the award for 'Least Likely to Keep Her Secret Identity'. Congratulations. Sherman!"

"Yes, sir?"

"I want this face given to everyone in the mob. I want a name to go with it. If anybody finds her or her name, tell them to contact me first. Don't do _anything_, contact me first."

"Yes sir." Boss turned back to the screen.

"See you soon, Raven."

* * *

**Blowfish: It wasn't technically a cliffie, so you can't say I did that this time. I hope you guys will keep speculating about Boss…not that I'll tell you if you're right or not, but it's fun to see if anyone will get close.**

**Btw, if anyone can pick out the "Law and Order" and "Spider-Man" references (there was a really solid one this time), they will get much praise from me.**

**Do the cool thing: Review!**


	11. Investigation

**Blowfish: Yes, I have a problem when it comes to updating fics. Wanna make something of it, punks?**

**Readers: (carrying bats, knives, and rocket launchers, and are foaming at their mouths) Maybe…**

**Blowfish: OO; OK then. Backing off. Ahem… I promise AoTT will be updated shortly after this. I got lots of nice, motivating reviews…and a nice, threatening one! Not from N-shin this time, though. Go N-shin!**

**N-shin: (wielding a chainsaw) Don't push it.**

**Blowfish: nn; Ahh…that I won't. So I'm updating now. And I got a crap-load of reviews! Insert girlish squee here, because I DON'T squee. EVER. And btw, the Spidey and L&O references were…**

**Chimpy: (does a drum roll)**

**Blowfish: Thank you, Chimpy. The Spidey reference was actually a quote that Gar said: "Raven, always standing in the way of what I want! What I _need_!" In SM2, Peter Parker asks the question: "Am I not supposed to have what I want? What I _need_?" So…yeah. I'm gonna ease up on the Spidey references now. The Law & Order reference was…Lenny the cop! This was, of course, a reference to the character Detective Lenny Briscoe, played by Jerry Orbach, who died a while back. Remember him, will you? He was an excellent actor—he was not only on L&O, but also a number of other things, even Broadway. He was actually the VA for Lumiere in Disney's _Beauty and the Beast_! Okay…now, onto the reviews!**

**mew-xena: Glad you're happy. Yes, poor Gar has lost his inspiration. AHHH! EVIL BRITNEY SPEARS BACKUP SINGER HAMSTERS! Those are worse than evil Christina Aguilera backup singer hamsters! I'm scared of you now. (cowers in corner)**

**Lauren1792: Thanks, I hope you like this chapter!**

**TtitansFan: Good try on the reference. I was actually thinking about Osborn when I put Osmond in there. That's a shame you didn't see PotO. I was curious as to how good that is.**

**TGD3RD: Yep, BBRae people seem to be flocking to this fic. I'm not willing to say who might return to superhero-ing next, but you can be sure it'll be very, very soon.**

**Slade's Downfall: Yep, the Boss has got Raven in his grasp…sort of. WRITER'S EXCELLENCE AWARD! YAY! Take that, Oscars! They said I wasn't good enough, but—**

**Chimpy: Blowfish, the Oscars is for movies…not fanfics.**

**Blowfish: Oh yeah…well, it _should_ be!**

**MizMissa: Yes, Raven is taking a lot of abuse. Yes, tenants are fun. I just like sticking funny people in all my writing. Funny people make the world a better place. nn Yay, I inspired someone! (does the inspiration dance) And in regards to the "fry and tomato" thing… Really? What's your MSN IM (that's a mouthful) name? That would be interesting…**

**The Gemini Sage: Yes, Rae and Gar are stupid, in a sense. They'll get it right. nn Guilt-tripping is fun… Btw, I looked in your profile, and you've started ANOTHER story. Bad girl.**

**dancingirl3: That I will.**

**Rachel: Yes, GO BBRAE! And I kind of agree on the name thing. I am NEVER naming my kid Garfield. Yuck. And yes, Boss has definitely found Raven.**

**WolfosTerrence: That's okay, we all burst into maniacal laughter sometimes…heck, I do it on a daily basis!**

**Gecko Osco: I know what you mean. I'm not exactly "with it" either. NO! I will never abandon a fic…unless I believe it is utter crap, which is not the case here! So don't worry, just because I'm not always a prompt updater (which I'm really working on), doesn't mean I won't update soon!**

**AzhureTigress: Yeah, Raven's got it all in perspective, but Vic is just ignoring it…for now. ;) Rae and Gar will get Star's point…eventually. And reading the next part of your review, I must say, you are a clever one. This question will be explored…next chapter. Sorry. nn; But your second question will be answered this chapter. And as for this season's arc…I'm not sure what to think. Sam Register mentioned that they would be following the comics very closely, and that would include Raven dying. But then again, we mustn't forget the fact that, in the comics, she was resurrected…twice. Though I hope that Raven makes it through the season, I do think it would be interesting to leave it as a cliffie and follow it up in season five. Oh, the speculation! The message boards are going nuts on this topic, actually. And I wouldn't blame you for flaming the people at the show. I think I may join you…**

**Miss Poisonous: Yay! I'm glad to hear that you like this that much. And Boss's mob has it in for her, you can be sure. Gar (or BB—I'm starting to confuse myself, ack!) and Raven's little problem will drag on for a bit. But not forever—because I looove BBRae, oh yes I do! And yeah, I did write an X-Men: Evo story at some point…but the bastards took it down. Damn them. And no, I'm not a _Charmed _fan. But I know some people who are. Sorry.**

**eMOTIV: Muffins? I prefer cupcakes. But no, do not keep your muffins of holiness, only give them to hungry wildebeests on national Feed the Wildebeests Day! …Wait, what was I talking about? Oh yeah! Yay, I inspired someone else! Yay! (does a reprise of the inspiration dance)**

**Peggy: I don't quite understand what you're asking. What about ****Sherman**** don't you get? But I can answer your second question: Gar discarded his identity as BB, along with his affections for Raven. Rae did the same, only now she's back to being Raven. So Gar is pissed because he doesn't love HER anymore, he loves Rae. Hope that clears things up.**

**RobinluvsStar: Yep, Star's gonna be important this and next chapter! Not that she's not important to the whole story (nn;), but she's…um…**

**Star: I'm SUPER important!**

**RobinluvsStar: THAT'S the word. And I thought Star would be the one to spell stuff out for Gar because she's the sensitive one.**

**Hawkgal: You know what's weird? I like writing fiction, but I swear, everything I write for English class is pure crap…but I like to take little pointers from good writers, such as Roald Dahl (taught me that things can NEVER be too weird), Avi (taught me to make people think), and Neil Gaiman (taught me to use LOTS of adjectives and to not be afraid of strange dialogue). Really, it helps. Yes, the BBRae is getting a little strained. It's actually gonna do a bit of a fade-out until the next major plot point. So, sorry. But it will come! Birthmark: I could see why people are taking it as a RobRae thing, but I just see them as good friends. Frankly, I don't think they get ENOUGH interaction. And I suppose it's also because I'm not a RobRae-hater OR fan…though the people at oekaki are slowly but surely converting me… And again, thank you for the motivating threat!**

**lil' LIK Star: I'm glad you liked it, and the fact that Star was in it. Oh yes, that…I had several people ask what a cow kiss was, so here's the answer: It's sort of a kiss/lick thingamajig (I am STUNNED that MS Word didn't correct "thingamajig"). Kind of cute, kind of nasty. I got the idea from my brother—he does that to his girlfriend sometimes. It's kind of funny to watch. nn**

**TTJLFan: Glad you liked the conversation between Vic and Raven. And actually, thinking about it, I doubt anyone can really guess who Boss is on the given information. But more will be revealed, hopefully urging people to guess.**

**A Pleasant Reader: Like I said, Star did it because she's the sensitive one. But I can see where you're coming from—Star doesn't always seem like the smartest one in the show. Writing professionally? Well, I AM aiming for a career in the comic book industry as an artist, but I would love to co-create something…**

**K9: Heh, I guess you _could_ call it a cliffie. Monty Python? Damn, I cannot BELIEVE I didn't get that! I have seen a bit of MPFC, but not a lot. But some friends of mine are hardcore Monty Python fans, so I am ashamed. "NO ONE inspects the Spanish Inquisition!"**

**The Last: Gar will piece it together eventually…nimrod.**

**Gar: HEY!**

**Magpie's Lament: You changed your name! Yes, Raven stuck to the ceiling is an amusing image…**

**Cherri munkey: Yes you are! Glad you liked it, and thank you for promising to review.**

**scathac's warrior: Don't worry, there's more!**

**Rose: Yep, RobStar fluff is always good. Raven enjoys mocking Vic and Sarah, oh yes she does. Ah, Larry. That would be funny as hell.**

**Exiled-Knight: Heh, that DOES rhyme! (in a singsong voice) Gar and Star, Gar and Star, Gar and Star… What was I doing again? Oh yeah!**

**Chimpy: That joke is getting old.**

**Exiled-Knight: Rae's life is going to get VERY sucky, that's a sure thing. And it all starts this chapter:D Huh, that WAS from _I, Robot_. I didn't notice that! I've seen some of the movie, I bet I subconscious added that in there. Damn you, subconscious!**

**Blowfish's Subconscious: Screw you!**

**Kit Kat: You're back! (hugs) Your comp crashed, eh? I know what you mean, mine did that once…and again later…and that other time… Oo My computer is a piece of crap, man. Yep, Gar's going Freud—I can only hope he won't hurt his poor brain…**

**Gar: WHAT IS THIS, NATIONAL "MAKE FUN OF GAR" DAY?**

**Kit Kat: Yes, Boss is stalker-ish…almost…Slade-ish, dare I say. :D I'm glad you think I'm not going too fast. I try not to. I hate fics where you are just getting into the plot and then they just throw it all together at once and it comes out all icky.**

**AlwaysWrite: "Dream lives"; that's a great term for it. It perfectly describes how the Titans' lives are going right now (or WAS going, in Rae's case)…when something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Destiny is calling them…God, does anyone else have "Mr. Brightside" stuck in their head? I heard it four times today, and now it's the only thing I can think of. Grr. OOH, SHAKESPEARE QUOTE! I _KNEW_ I LIKED YOU! Barfield was meant to be an ass. That's sort of going to be his job in this fic—so expect to be hearing from him again. Rae will be exposed, all right…and there will be colossal consequences. I hope it comes out as good as all of you are hoping.**

**LadyMaundrell: Thanks for the fav!**

**ninmenju-shin: You know how I hate bursting people's bubbles…but I have to be a' burstin': Doc Ock's name is Otto Octavius. Sorry. Raven won't get jumped in the streets…Boss has much more clever ways of getting to her. And yes, all this praise is making me feel pretty badass. The ghost of Al Capone? No, but that's a good guess… Though a scientist, Sarah will prove to be somewhat…retarded in future chapters.**

**Blowfish: Man, FOUR pages this time! Is it just me, or am I gaining reviewers each chapter? Ah well, I'm not complaining.**

**"talking" 'thinking' _Tamaranian _COMPUTER File text (bold)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans or the song "Curbside Prophet" by Jason Mraz. There, I said it. So if someone says something and I get sued, there's gonna be hell to pay. (loads revolver)**

**Blowfish: All right! An all-new chapter, taking a slightly different focus than the previous ones! …Well, not really. Anyway, here's chapter eleven!**

* * *

Karen was typing furiously on her laptop, which was resting on her crossed legs. Terry was perched behind her, looking over her shoulder. She had been combing her "sources" for any information on Rae that they hadn't already found, but they were basically coming up empty. Karen had a short profile up on her computer that she rechecked every time she found something. It had very little in it thus far: 

**RAVEN "RAE" ROTH**

**DOB: FEB. 5, 1987**

**AGE: 28**

**HEIGHT: 5' 5"**

**EYES: BLUE**

**HAIR: BLUE (?)**

**OCCUPATION: JOURNALIST**

**RESIDENCE: ****CUMMING AVE.****APARTMENT**** 209**

**CRIMINAL OFFENSES: NONE**

**KNOWN FAMILY: NONE**

**KNOWN EDUCATION: SAT SCORE OF 1409. FOUR YEARS AT ****GOTHAM****CITY****UNIVERSITY**** (EARNED BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN JOURNALISM)**

"Face it," Terry said. "We have nothing. We don't know _anything_ about Rae that we didn't already know."

"We can't give up now that we've gotten this far," Karen said, typing even faster. "I'm gonna get to the bottom of this if it kills me."

"So…where do we go from here?"

"Maybe we just need a broader search topic. Instead of checking out Rae, we should focus on someone related to her."

"We don't know who or where her family is. We don't even know if they're still alive. With all we've found about them, they might as well not exist!"

"No one comes out of nowhere, Terry."

He grinned. "I dunno about that. You'd swear she had. We don't even know where she went to high school."

"OK, I'm putting in a search for 'Roth'."

"Uh, Karen? There are like, a _zillion_ Roth's. How do you expect to find someone related to Rae?"

"I'm narrowing it to anyone in Gotham or Jump."

"You're nuts. Rae could've come from the middle of Kansas for all we know!"

"I don't know…it seems so odd that she'd hang around here for so long. I mean, she could probably make a better living somewhere like Metropolis. Why stick around here for so long?"

"Maybe you have a point," he conceded. "But what—"

"Search is done."

**SEARCH: "****GOTHAM****CITY****"+"****JUMP****CITY****"+ ROTH**

**RESULTS: 1,080,237 HITS**

Terry and Karen groaned.

"Gah!" Terry yelled. "This is impossible!"

"I'm going to go to a news search instead," Karen said. The number of hits went down significantly, and she started scrolling.

"Hey, wait a second," Terry said. "Stop."

"What?"

"Look there. 'Roth Family Declares Missing Teen Legally Dead'. Click on that one."

"Terry, there's no way that could be Rae. This was in 1990. Rae was three years old."

"Just click it." Karen sighed and clicked the link. It brought them to a Gotham news site under the "Missing Persons" section. The heading read, "Angela Roth, 1986".

"Let's see…" Karen muttered, reading the file. "Angela Roth, 17, missing March 29, 1986…a runaway. Just some stats on the search. The father declared her legally dead in 1990. So?"

"Wait a second…wait a second…wait…a…second!"

"I've waited six seconds. What?"

"Karen, isn't Rae's birthday in early February of 1987?" Karen checked Rae's profile.

"Yeah, the fifth. Why?"

"Don't you get it? Angela Roth was a runaway at 17. A teenage girl."

"And…?"

"Rae's birth date is February fifth, 1987. Roughly nine months after Angela Roth disappeared!" Karen gaped at him.

"No way."

"Think about it! Angela Roth, your typical, law-abiding Gotham City citizen…why would she run away, other than something absolutely scandalous? Such as a b-a-b-y."

"Wow…Terry, that's really…_astute_ of you."

Terry glared at her. "I hope that was sarcasm."

"If only."

"I'm just going to pretend that didn't happen. So now we just need to check out this Angela Roth character…how about her father?"

"Wouldn't count on it," Karen said, her focus back on the computer screen. "Says here he had a heart attack two years later."

"And let me guess…he has no living family."

"Bingo."

"Now I think Lady Luck is flipping us the bird." He sighed. "For all we know, this lady isn't related to Rae at all. I'm probably just talking out my ass."

"Maybe," Karen said. She idly scrolled farther down the page and stopped. Her eyes widened. "Maybe not."

"What?"

"You've _got_ to take a look at this." He looked back at the screen, and his jaw dropped.

Staring back at him was a gaunt, pale face framed by straight black hair. Resting on the face was a pair of large, sad-looking, dark blue eyes. Angela Roth. Terry grabbed a photo of Rae off of the desk and put it up next to the picture. Had Angela's face been a bit longer and Rae's hair been black, they would have been identical. Terry's flabbergasted expression twisted into a smile.

"Jackpot."

* * *

"G'morning, Carl." 

"Morning, Vic," Carl Leever said. He and Vic were meeting at the local IHOP for breakfast. Ever since Carl had agreed to fund Project Cyborg, he had developed a good friendship with Vic. This was the first time they had met for non-business purposes.

"So, how's the company doing? I saw your stock went up."

"That it did. Things are getting very good over there."

"I bet! You know how I'm friends with Dick Grayson?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, he actually said that you guys are becoming competition. Wayne Enterprises is getting a little nervous."

"Well you can tell Mr. Grayson not to worry. After all, a little healthy competition never hurt anyone, right?"

"Said the spider to fly."

Carl laughed. "You flatter me; if anything, Wayne Enterprises is the spider, and _we're _the fly."

"Don't be so modest. Dick has an eye for this sort of thing."

"I would hope. He's the manager, isn't he?"

"Yeah. Probably gonna climb the ladder up from there, too." Vic sighed. "That guy was born for success."

"Trust me, Victor, so are you. This whole project is going to put us all on the map."

"Your company is already _on _the map. I imagine Project Cyborg will just make it ruler of it."

"Wouldn't that be something," Carl said wistfully. "But hey, we didn't come here to chat about business! Let's order something."

After they ate, they walked down the city streets and talked some more. They sat on a bench on Main Street and stopped talking briefly. Carl put his hands behind his head in a relaxed position and stretched out.

"'S beautiful, isn't it?" he said.

"What?" Vic asked.

"The city. A jewel among jewels." He gestured to the late morning scene unfolding around them. "Parents are taking their children school, exchanging 'hellos' and 'good mornings'. The sun is shining. Birds are singing."

Vic chuckled. "You're certainly taking in the scenery."

"I sound stupid, I know. But I'm always cooped up in my little office…I like the quiet, but sometimes I just enjoy…the outside. Where there's life."

"I think I know what you mean. It gets a little lonely in the lab sometimes."

"I would think the opposite for you."

"Huh?"

"I was talking to Gus the other day…it appears you and Sarah are getting quite cozy."

Vic felt his face flush. "Uh…well…yeah, I guess…you could say that."

"Ahh…to be in love…"

"Are you married?"

Carl hesitated. "No." Vic wasn't sure why, but he found this response peculiar.

"Never?"

"No, I'm still waiting for Mrs. Right."

"Oh." They sat in silence for a few minutes, and Vic was beginning to wish he hadn't inquired about his friend's martial status. A brown-haired man walked over.

"Mr. Leever?" he asked tentatively.

"Kyle!" Carl stood up and had Kyle and Vic shake hands. "Kyle Henderson, Victor Stone. Victor Stone, Kyle Henderson."

"It's a pleasure," Vic said.

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Stone," Kyle said warmly. "Carl's told me all about you; you're the genius behind Project Cyborg."

"One of many, actually. Group project."

"Ah. I'm the manager at Leever, Inc."

"Lead techie at Jump City Science and Technical Facilities."

"Wow."

"So," Carl cut in. "What brings you here, Kyle?"

"Oh, I just saw you guys, and I thought, 'Hey, I should say hi!' And I…" He trailed off and looked past them.

"Something wrong?"

"No, it's just...I've seen that woman somewhere before, is all." Carl and Vic followed his gaze to a woman standing across the street, writing on a notepad. Vic recognized her immediately.

"You mean Rae?" he asked.

"Is that her name?"

"Yeah," Vic said. "You've seen her somewhere before."

"I think I saw her in a deli or something. She's…pretty."

Vic laughed. He was still mad at Rae, and he thought it would be a little fun to mess with her. "You wanna meet her?"

Kyle blushed a bit. "You know her?"

"We're friends…though we weren't on the best terms last time we saw each other. But yeah, you could meet her. HEY RAE!" he yelled.

Across the street, Rae's head snapped up at her name. She saw Vic standing with two other men, one young with brown hair, and the other somewhat older with gray-streaked black hair. Vic was gesturing for her to come over. Rae shrugged and walked across the street to meet them.

"'Sup, Rae?" Vic greeted her.

"Not much," she replied dully. She was still somewhat angry with Vic, and wasn't in the mood for friendly conversation; she had a report to work on.

"I just saw you, so I thought I should introduce you to Carl Leever, the guy I'm working on with that project. Carl, this is Rae Roth." Carl took Rae's hand and shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Roth," Carl said. "Didn't you write that article on Project Cyborg? That explains why it was so well-researched, I suppose."

"Thanks," she said. The other man stepped forward and shook her hand.

"Hi. I'm Kyle Henderson, one of Carl's managers. Have we...met?"

She paused, thinking. "No, I don't think so."

"I think I saw you in a deli once."

"Small world." Rae let go of his hand quickly. Her empathic powers were acting up. She was getting the distinct feeling that something wasn't right. She pretended to check her watch. "It's been nice meeting you, but I have to go. Really urgent appointment I can't be late for." With one last wave, she bolted. Vic stared at her, and Kyle looked somewhat disappointed. Carl gave him a pat on the back.

"S'okay, Kyle m'boy. I don't think she's your type." Kyle mumbled something about getting back to the office and left. "Poor guy."

"Weird," Vic murmured. "She's not usually like that."

"Well, maybe she really did have an appointment."

Vic snorted. "Yeah, and I'm Jiminy Cricket."

"Speaking of which, I'd better get back to the office. Was nice having breakfast with you, Vic."

"Yeah, you too, Carl. Seeya."

* * *

"So," said Terry, chewing on his bagel. "Now that we're pretty sure that this Angela Roth character is Raven's mom, what do we do next?" He and Karen were in her car, driving down the highway. 

"We need to go to Gotham."

"That's what we appear to be doing. I mean, what do we do when we get there? We're basically at a dead end."

"We need to find out what happened to Angela. If we find that out, we're one step closer figuring out Rae."

"Yeah, but—Ooh! Turn up the radio! Good song!"

**_You see it started way back in NYC_**

**_When I stole my first rhyme from the MIC_**

**_Had a west end avenue at 63_**

**_Was a beginning of a leap year_**

**_February '96_**

**_With a guitar picked up in the mix_**

**_I committed to the licks like a nickel bag of tricks_**

**_Well look at me now_**

**_Look at me now_**

**_Look at me now, now, now, now_**

Terry started to wiggle his whole body to the music—Karen just _stared_—and sang along with the chorus.

**_I'm just a curbside prophet_****_  
With my hand in my pocket  
_****_And I'm waiting for my rocket to come  
_****_I'm just a curbside prophet _****_  
With my hand in my pocket  
_****_And I'm waiting for my rocket ya'll_**

Karen turned down the radio. "No more coffee for you. Ever."

"You're such a party-pooper," he grumbled. Karen glared at him.

"Back to the topic at hand, please."

"How are we supposed to find anything about Angela?"

"Police records."

"Couldn't we just do that at home from one of your illegal sources?"

"They are _not _illegal!"

"OK, OK…your _illegitimate _sources."

"Terry, do you want to get to the bottom of this or not?" Karen yelled, taking the Gotham City exit.

"Alright, alright! I give! But really, why actually go to Gotham?"

"I figured maybe we could get an interview with one of the detectives on the case or something."

"Yeah, and two college kids asking about a twenty year old case wouldn't be suspicious at _all_," Terry said sarcastically.

"I know some people who could get us good information…let's just leave it at that."

"Wow! Questionable sources, inside police connections, good looks—Karen, you have, dare I say it, all the makings of the world's greatest journalist!"

Karen whacked him upside the hand. "Though I _am _slightly flattered, you deserved that."

"But it was _so _worth it."

* * *

Boss entered the Archive. 

It was a gigantic mass of file cabinets, containing information on everyone and everything worth knowing about in Gotham and Jump. It was in Boss's possession, but he had not created it. In the relatively short time he had been in power, he had filled a very miniscule fraction of the Archive—it was truly something that had been amassed over generations, ever since the two cities had came into existence.

Gotham was far older a city that Jump, and its Archive had started long ago. It started small and with few details, but grew larger over time. Crime bosses and super-villains of all sorts had contributed to it: Zucco, the Joker, Two-Face, Penguin and many others. Then Jump City came, bringing its own crime, and its own Archive. It included entries from rather notorious criminals, particularly centering upon the works of Brother Blood and Slade.

Within the last generation of crime before Boss had taken control, the crime syndicates of Gotham City and Jump City merged—so did their respective Archives. There was no more Gotham Archive or Jump Archive, there was _the _Archive. It was a crime library—rather historical, really.

But what made the Archive truly useful to the current crime syndicate were the endless dossiers on those who would oppose it: Batman had a _very _extensive profile, due to his history of foiling Gotham's lowliest scum. Boss walked past the Caped Crusader's cabinet, looking for another profile.

"T…" he muttered. "T…T…T!" He stopped by the "T" cabinets. He traced a line up the drawers with his finger, searching for the correct one. He stopped on "Te", and opened it. He blew the dust off of all of the files, and leafed through them patiently, finally locating the correct tab: "Teen Titans".

Boss removed the thick file and closed the cabinet. He then silently strode back to his office, turned on the desk light, and opened the file. It had several different folders in it; five of them were particularly fat. He removed the one marked "Raven" and looked at the main page. There was a photo at the top of a hooded teenager, and another somewhat blurry shot of the same teenager un-hooded.

**Name: Raven (last name unknown)**

**Alias: Raven**

**Age: 18?**

**Gender: F**

**DOB: Feb. 5 (year unknown)**

**Eyes: Blue**

**Hair: Blue**

**Height: 5' 3"**

**Occupation: Vigilante**

**Affiliation: Teen Titans**

**Known Residences: Azarath, ****Jump****City**

**Martial Status: Single**

**Genetics: Half-demon, half-human**

**Powers/Weapons/Skills: Telekinesis, empathy, teleportation, limited telepathy and clairvoyance, limited healing abilities, flight (Mx: 30 mph), extensive knowledge of magic and sorcery, semi-proficient in martial arts (jujitsu).**

**Known Weaknesses: Inability to completely control telekinesis while under emotional duress, physical ineptitude, lack of social skills, temper.**

**Parentage: Angela Roth, Trigon.**

**Major Enemies: Trigon, Brother Blood, Slade.**

**Other Notes: Joined Teen Titans in 2002, whereabouts currently unknown**

**Last Major Activity: October, 2005**

Boss looked at the last item on the list. He smiled bitterly and crossed it out, writing in something new.

**Last Major Activity: ****November 2, 2015**

Boss left Raven's folder out and got out another one, this one marked "Robin". On the main page there was a picture of a masked teenager with a cape.

**Name: Unknown**

**Alias: Robin**

**Age: 18?**

**Gender: M**

**DOB: Unknown**

**Eyes: Unknown**

**Hair: Black**

**Height: 5' 5"**

**Occupation: Vigilante**

**Affiliation: Teen Titans**

**Known Residences: ****Gotham ****City, ****Jump**** City**

**Martial Status: Dating**

**Genetics: Human**

**Powers/Weapons/Skills: Proficient with grappling hook, bo staff, a number of computer programs and technologies, a number of martial arts (boxing, judo, jujitsu, karate); excellent strategist, good leadership skills, proficient with interrogation techniques.**

**Known Weaknesses: Extreme guilt and temper can easily cloud judgment.**

**Parentage: Unknown**

**Major Enemies: Slade, Brother Blood, Trigon.**

**Other Notes: Batman's former sidekick, Leader of Teen Titans, formed the team in 2002, current whereabouts unknown**

**Last Major Activity: December, 2005**

Boss was just about to update Robin's profile when Sherman burst in. Boss was irritated to be disturbed.

"Is it important?" he asked gruffly.

"Very, sir," Sherman said. "One of our operatives has discovered Raven's name."

"Well? What are you waiting for, a written invitation? What is it?"

"Rae Roth. I did a search. 'Rae' is short for 'Raven'."

"You'd think the girl would at least _try _to keep herself inconspicuous," Boss chuckled.

"So…should I send word to the rest of them? To take her down?"

"Not right now…I'm sure I could come up with something much more…practical. I fear, Sherman, that Miss Roth is going to suffer a terrible accident."

"Oh…should I work on her 'accident'?"

"Like I said, _not right now_. I have to update a few papers." He smiled—this time genuinely—and crossed out the first item on Raven's main page, writing in something new.

**Name: Raven Roth**

**

* * *

**Karen and Terry were very disappointed.

Karen's inside connection with the police had fallen flat, they had gotten thrown out of the police station, and they had no more information than when they had last found anything new. They were sitting on a Gotham City bench, eating hot dogs in bitter silence. They hadn't gotten anywhere.

"…What now?" Karen finally asked. Terry just sat. He didn't know what now. He wished he did. So he did what he always did when he didn't know something: he just sat and waited for something to come to him. Not the most efficient method, but he had nothing else he could do.

Terry let his eyes wander over to the flower shop. A woman was coming out of it, and the light bulb inside Terry's head went on. He knew her!

"STAR!" he yelled. The redhead turned to him and waved. "Come on over!" She walked over and sat with them. Terry quickly introduced Karen to her.

"What are you doing in Gotham?" Star asked.

"Well, we were coming to get some information…about Rae."

Star cocked an eyebrow. "Why are you looking for information about Rae? And why are you looking in _Gotham_?"

"_Well_…" Terry began. He and Karen related their entire predicament to Star: How strange Rae had been acting, how she had lied to them or John, how they knew so little about her—they also showed Star the information that they _had _found, including Angela Roth's case.

"Is she really related to Rae?" Karen asked hopefully. "You would know, right? You're like a sister to her."

Star paused. "Listen to me. I find it admirable that you are concerned about Rae…even if your methods are...a bit invasive." Karen and Terry sank a little in their seats. "And I don't blame you for wanting to know more. Rae has always been a rather secretive person. But…that is often the way it is meant to stay. And thought I know much of the information you wish to acquire, I cannot give it to you. I know things about Rae that she has shared with me _willingly_, and I'm not at liberty to discuss them behind her back."

"Oh…" Terry muttered.

"If you need to know this desperately, my advice is that you ask Rae yourselves. Whether she will comply…I cannot say. Good day to you." Star got up and made her way down the street.

Terry paused. "Ya know…she's right."

"I guess," Karen said. There was a pregnant pause.

"We should head back to Jump."

"Yeah."

"Can we listen to the radio?"

"Absolutely not."

**

* * *

Blowfish: OK, OK, I know. Filler chapter. Little plot development. But I hope you liked it anyway.**

**Reviews…my anti-drug.**

**EDIT: Had to fix some spacing and grammar stuff I didn't spot before. **


	12. Epiphany

**Blowfish: I have real updating problems, don't I? Geez, I got really caught up in Spring Break, Easter, my birthday (which WHOOPED ASS), and chapter seven of TAoTT (you know you wanna read it). Nuts, I tell ya! I got loads of reviews. I friggin' love you guys.**

**TtitansFan: Hmm, maybe I'll rent PotO. It sounds cool. Dick will definitely be in this chapter and it actually centers on Star. So I hope you like it!**

**secondchild02: Nightwing's DEFINITELY in this chap, lots and lots. And the actual function of Project Cyborg will be divulged…soon enough. It becomes VERY relevant to the plot, that's all I'm willing to say.**

**K9: Ha, I remember that. One could call Terry and Karen a "dynamic duo", yes. Glad you liked the Archive thing. I refuse to believe that all these super-villains are running around and no one is keeping tabs on superheroes. And actually, what happened last chapter will be touched on a lot in this chapter. You'll see.**

**Juzblue: Thanks, I'm glad you like it.**

**The Last: Carl is a little odd, eh? Well, he was sort of supposed to be. I figured I should expand on his personality a bit. I'm sort of phasing him in as a secondary character.**

**TTJLFan: I had a good bit of time off from school on account of snow a while ago, too. It was awesome. n­­n Glad you liked the Terry and Karen action.**

**Born To Make Chaos: Thanks for reviewing. If I was a vegetarian, I wouldn't eat at Mickey D's either, but what can I say.**

**scathac's warrior: Jason Mraz is the man, plain and simple. You should introduce me to Elsa!**

**Light of Sorrow: Like the name change. I was actually sick for a while before updating last, so I know how you feel. Heh, Boss is going to get MUCH scarier as this story progresses.**

**MizMissa: Glad you're enjoying it. Unfortunately, plot development on the Rae/Gar situation won't be the focus of this chapter—lots more later, though. COOKIE! YAY! C is for cookie…**

**Rachel: Wow, when you said now, I really hope you meant over a month later. nn; I hope you aren't too mad…**

**Magpie's Lament: Thanks!**

**Gecko Osco: Again: Jason. Mraz. Is. The. MAN! Glad you liked Star, 'cause she's gonna be big in this chapter. Oo; Wow, I bet I killed all you guys. Faithful readers…where would us authors be without you?**

**lil' LIK Star: Thanks a lot!**

**AzhureTigress: OO Wow. No one appreciates MASSIVE reviews like I do! Though I must say, you scared me a bit when you cracked your knuckles… Students? What do you teach? (I'm curious, my cousin's a teacher as well. They're so underappreciated—and underpaid.) As for your first observation, you have an excellent point. I guess the real reason I did it was to drag it out into something that's going to happen in this chapter…sort of. It's complicated. Still, you're right. Not one of my better ideas. I'm going to have to start a new paragraph so I don't hurt my eyes…**

**I'm glad you like my OCs. Truthfully, I normally am not too keen on making or reading OCs, but I am really proud of Terry and Karen. They were really supposed to be extras when I decided to create them (unlike Sarah, whose purpose was clear and set from the start—though not her personality), but they ended up as secondary characters! Funny how the creative process works, eh? Yeah, their profession had a lot to do with why they're so darn nosy. I'm glad you think it was a needed chapter. I guess I considered it a filler chapter because there weren't fountains of plot development, but I guess that isn't always completely necessary.**

**I'm actually glad you brought up Starfire again. It's really a big point of the plot that needs to be addressed. All of the flaws in her characterization are completely and utterly correct—but they serve a specific purpose, which will be explored VERY deeply in this chapter. Indeed, there IS something wrong with Star. However, the reason her innocence is somewhat lacking is because she's not so naïve anymore. She's in her twenties, she's gone through more and is a little more…mature, I suppose the word would be.**

**Ah, I was half-expecting someone to comment on this. I do not mean "physical ineptitude" in that Raven cannot hold her own in battle (I REALLY should've phrased it a bit more carefully…), but that if she were to fight someone like Nightwing, for instance, hand to hand, no powers, no gadgets, she would get her ass kicked. I really mean that she isn't very physically strong (neither is Beast Boy, really, excluding all of his animal forms—he probably can't bench-press like Robin can). Sorry if that was unclear.**

**Surgery? Wow, that sucks. Can't say I've had surgery, but I've known some people that have, and they've told me it's a hard recovery. Though by the time you read this, you'll probably be as good as new. The ****Appalachian Trail****? My dad and brother have always wanted to do that, and I've heard it's pretty cool. Hope you have a good time (though you're gone by now, aren't you?).**

**If you'll be my bodyguard, I can be your long lost pal! I can call you Betty, and Betty, when you call me, you can call me Al!**

**Sorry for the random Paul Simon reference. My brother's girlfriend (COOLEST. PERSON. EVER.) sent me a mix CD with "You Can Call Me Al" included in it.**

**RobinluvsStar: Don't worry, Star has arrived!**

**Starfire Fans: All hail Starfire…all hail Starfire…**

**Brother Blood: HEY! That's copyrighted!**

**Yes, I've been reading the comics. Why do you ask?**

**ElvenRanger: Glad you think I'm characterizing them okay—I worry about that sometimes. It's cool you like Terry. He's a whacky, whacky, guy.**

**The Gemini Sage: Yep, Terry and Karen are going to get into some deep trouble with Rae…and other people. ;) You'll find out. Poor Terry, always the subject of Karen's scorn… S'cool, I know—I have Starfox Adventures (which I really should get back to—I get so distracted from videogames, ya know?). Chimpy? Why…Chimpy is the little part of my personality (I think we all have this) that just sort of snickers constantly at things that are either inappropriate or kind of unfunny. My sarcasm…my wit… (nods solemnly) I named her Chimpy because chimps are fun. And they like bananas, like me!**

**Chimpy: …You're whacked. You do know that, right?**

**That I do…that I do…**

**Miss Poisonous: Yeah, Star's playing referee. And Boss is really cooking up something good for our resident heroes, oh yes he is. That's actually an excellent question: Arella was the name given to Angela Roth by the people of Azarath when she arrived there pregnant with Raven. I think it's Gaelic or something, but it means "angel messenger". Ironic, no? Kyle has no luck with the ladies, lol. And we'll find out exactly what Raven's empathy was picking up on, don't worry. I'm not sure if she has empathy in the show. I guess that part in "Titan Rising" when she bumps Terra and has that "vision" thing is the closest she ever got, really. But she does in the comics, and I think it's an interesting component of her personality and powers.**

**eMOTIV: OK.**

**Grumbumble: Wow, I'm glad I'm doing well with the plot. The Terry and Karen subplot will grow a lot in this chapter, very quickly.**

**Ember: Guess I'm not getting the golden banana…I know I've heard that SOMEWHERE, but…damn short-term memory. Why must I be the proverbial "Dory"! WHY! You're gonna like this chapter if you're a RobStar fan. I guarantee it. I'm glad you think so, but this does not scratch the surface of that title. Hell, it doesn't even scuff it. Go into my favorites section, you'll find some real quality stuff in there.**

**rixietrixie91: Glad you're enjoying it thus far. Oh my. That is DEFINITELY a good newbie question—took me a while to figure that one out, and it didn't necessarily end well. If a fic is labeled as a "lemon", it contains mature, sexual content of some sort. I normally steer clear of these, but if you're lucky, you may find some of the few tastefully-written ones.**

**Ace Grey Manx: …Did you _like_?**

**raexrob: Sorry, I really did take a long time, didn't I? T-T**

**A Pleasant Reader: Yep, Rae-Rae is in it deep. I guess the song was inconsistent, but I put it in there for a joke—and I was actually listening to that song at the time. Ooooh…I'm getting pelted with cheeseballs, aren't I?**

**AlwaysWrite: I find it hard to believe that guys like Slade and Brother Blood and Boss WOULDN'T keep some sort of tabs on superheroes. Seems like it would be an essential. Don't forget though, Nightwing was discovered—and I didn't necessarily say if it was before or after Raven. Yes, I enjoy with all my readers. It's such fun. Yes, sticking one's nose in a friend's business is not exactly a great thing to do. Don't worry, we all ramble. Hell, I ramble on a daily basis. And yes, Raven can and will not be taken off of Teen Titans. It cannot be done. I mean, let's look at the comics (I got volumes 1 and 2 of the current series—volume two is the "Raven Rising" arc—for my birthday, so expect me to go on about them a bit) the show is based off: She basically dies killing Trigon, and then resurrects (all evil and badass, mind you) and tries to kill her Starfire (who is unwittingly possessed by Raven's "good" soul). She sort of dies. THEN, in the current series, the new Brother Blood brings her back to life. THE GIRL DOES NOT DIE. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KILL HER.**

**Raven Fans: Raven is invincible!**

**Besides, as you said, without her, the show would suck.**

**Cherri munkey: Glad I could be of service.**

**zachriasofBorg: I've actually never watched Stargate SG-1. But I have a friend who's a big fan.**

**Ian: WHY DOESN'T ANYBODY ELSE I KNOW WATCH IT!**

**I will, however, keep up the good work.**

**Hanita-chan: Thanks, I will!**

**PLAySw/Fire: Don't worry, BBRae is on the horizon. Ooh. Me likey teh long reviews (and teh bad grammar, if you couldn't tell). Ah. (eye twitch) Okay then, updating.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans. If I did, I would be saying "WHERE THE HELL ARE THE NEW EPISODES!" Oh wait, I AM saying that. I also don't own any of the songs that appear in this chapter. They are owned by Bad Religion ("21st Century Digital Boy"), Simon and Garfunkel ("The Only Living Boy in ****New York****"), and The Runaways ("Cherry Bomb").**

**"talking" 'thinking' _Tamaranian/flashback radio_ (bold italics) answering machine/ring/text message (bold)**

**Blowfish: Whew…THAT took a while. Now, on to what you've been asking for and waiting for…what's the deal with Star? When, if at all, will Terry and Karen figure out that Rae is Raven? And what will they do with their new knowledge? Why do you care?**

**Chimpy: Not so much that last one.**

**Blowfish: Now, on to chapter 12! That's a dozen chapters now!**

**

* * *

**Dick rolled over and slammed his alarm, grumbling. He rubbed his heavy eyelids and sat up. He looked to the other side of the bed, expecting to see his fiancée there, but was disappointed. He scratched his head, wondering if she had possibly gone out for some reason. That was when he heard the sound of someone coughing, followed by a more vulgar sound and a toilet being flushed. He ran to the bathroom, where Star sat on the floor leaned up against the toilet. She looked absolutely miserable.

"Not feeling well?" he asked gently, sitting down beside her.

"Not particularly," she snarled. Dick was a bit taken aback by her tone.

"Sorry."

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I've just…been feeling a bit under the weather these past few days."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because you would get that—oh, now see?"

"What?"

"You've got that look now."

"What look?"

"That worried look. I hate it when you get that look."

"Well, if I wake up to find the woman I love paying respects to the porcelain god, I tend to get a bit worried, yeah."

"I'll be fine. I was just getting up. I'm going to make some _ponknaf_."

"Umm…I'm assuming that's good?"

"It's an herbal remedy from my home planet…think of it as the cough medicine of Tamaran."

"You sure you really wanna _eat _anything?"

Star shakily got to her feet. "It's actually a drink, and it'll no doubt make me feel a little better."

"What do you think you have?"

"I suppose I could have the _yarkma_—just the Tamaranian equivalent of the human stomach flu. But…"

"But what?"

"I have been getting…headaches. Only not headaches. Like there's some sort of…_pressure_ behind my eyes. And my wrist joints ache. These are not typical symptoms of _yarkma_."

"But throwing up is, right?"

"Yes. I've been experiencing…lurches of my stomach while walking."

"Well then, you should put your feet up today. I'll call work and—"

"You should go to work."

Dick was exasperated. "Come on, Star. You aren't in good shape, I should—"

"Go. To. Work. Before I make you."

"You don't even know what you're sick from!"

"Richard, what would you suggest? A physician?"

He sighed. He knew doctors were out of the question, and Star calling him Richard was usually a sign of her patience beginning to thin. "Just take it easy, okay?"

"I will."

Dick got dressed, kissed Star on the cheek, and left. Star went into the kitchen and looked at the plants she had in the window. They were unlike anything most people have in their windowsill: Tamaranian house plants. Star took a few petals off of a loud brown and yellow flower and took out a pot to brew them in. After about 30 minutes, she added some sage and garlic, and let it simmer for another few minutes. Sage and garlic weren't traditional ingredients of _ponknaf_, but they were close enough.

Star poured some of the hot liquid in a cup. "Just call me Iron Chef," she chuckled. She pinched her nose with her thumb and forefinger and took a large gulp, gagging a bit. After a few more sips, she sat down on the couch, hoping that the morning news yielded some form of entertainment.

* * *

Terry walked into his dormitory feeling less than great. He was almost sure he'd bombed his Philosophy test. Also, Karen had called him to say that she wouldn't be able to have lunch with him. This was just _not _his day. 

Rae had met him in the park yesterday, and he resisted all the temptations of asking about her past. Star was right: It was none of his business. After all he had found out, the fact was, he was scared to ask her.

'Just leave it,' he thought. 'There's nothing wrong, her schedule's just a little tight. That's why she's acting weird.'

But a small part of his mind—the journalistic part—was still nagging at him. 'There's something she's not telling you. Not telling _anyone_.'

'There's nothing.'

'Yes there is. You know it. Karen knows it. Rae's doing _something_—'

'There's _NOTHING_. End of story. Forgetting about it as we speak—err, think. I mean… Damn, why am I talking to myself?' He stared at the photo of Rae on his bed, along with all the printouts of information he and Karen had compiled. '_Forget about it._ There's nothing.'

He tossed down his bag, and the photos he had taken two days ago came tumbling out. A picture of the blue-cloaked vigilante know as Raven landed on top of Rae's picture, next to the page with Rae's information on it. Terry glanced at it, and did a double-take. Raven's picture was lying right next to the line that said "Raven 'Rae' Roth". He picked up the photo of Raven and placed it in between the paper and the picture of Rae. He could've sworn he actually heard the soft clicking of the gears in his brain beginning to turn.

"No. Fucking. Way."

* * *

Star was sprawled on the couch, feeling like absolute hell. She was flipping channels on the TV without even looking at what was on. After the first four times of going through every channel, she knew there was nothing on. She finally leaned over and turned on the radio. 

**_'Cause I'm a 21st century digital boy_**

**_I don't know how to live, but I've got a lot of toys_**

**_My daddy's a lazy middle class intellectual_**

**_My mommy's on valium, so ineffectual—_**

Star growled and turned the knob on the radio.

**_The only living boy in _****_New York_**

**_I get the news I need on the weather report_**

**_Hey, I've got nothing to do today but smile_**

"How nice for you," she grumbled, turning off the radio. She lay back down on the couch and closed her eyes. She could actually _hear _the blood pumping in her ears. After a few minutes of just lying there, Star began to doze a bit, and her mind drifted.

_"Galfore!" a seven-year-old Koriand'r cried, running into her k'norfka's arms. "Komand'r played another trick on me!"_

_"There there, my little bumgorf," he said, stroking her hair. "What did she do this time?"_

_"She set a portkin loose on me."_

___"Ohhh…I shall inform your father—I am sure he will have some stern words for her."_

___"Why does Komand'r hate me, Galfore?"_

___"She does not. You are just her little sister. Older siblings play tricks on their little brothers and sisters."_

___"Really?"_

___"Of course! When I was but a small child like you, my older brother would employ his own trickery constantly. He was in a whole separate league than Komand'r, I assure you."_

___Koriand'r looked up at her caretaker curiously. "You have an older brother?" Galfore sighed deeply._

___"I did, yes."_

___"What happened to him?"_

___"My brother—T'hamat was his name—was a great warrior."_

___"Like you."_

___"Better than me. He fought many battles, and was made a commodore."_

___"Wow. What happened to him?" she asked again._

___"Well, one day, in a great but terrible battle, his whole fleet was decimated."_

___"Oh. So he died in the battle?"_

___"…No. He survived. He was one of only twenty. But he felt…guilty. And he saw many things, Koriand'r, so many things…"_

___"Things like what?"_

___"Things no one should ever see. And when he saw these things, he changed. He did not speak to me often. And one day…"_

___"One day, what?" she asked, bursting with suspense._

___"You must understand, Koriand'r. This can happen to anyone who fights for a long time. They come to a point where they…they cannot function, they cannot take it anymore. They just want it to end."_

___"How would they end it?" Galfore looked down at the innocent child in his arms, and heaved another sigh._

___"One day, he was piloting his ship. He was not far from the city when he crashed his ship into the desert. The explosion killed him."_

___Koriand'r was shocked. "He…meant to do this?"_

___"Yes."_

___"But why!" she burst out. "Why would anyone wish to end their life?"_

___"I am not sure, my little bumgorf. But I do know this: There is more than one way to end a life. My brother stopped living after he came back from that battle. He just wanted to do physically what he had done mentally."_

Starfire wondered suddenly why she was remembering this. But before she could really contemplate it any further, she found herself immersed in another memory.

_____Starfire glanced at Raven. Her friend was sitting slumped over the table silently. She had been that way since Beast Boy had left—save the night, when she had retired to her room. Cyborg sat on the couch, staring at the Gamestation plugged into their TV. Starfire prodded her glorg with her fork, knowing full well that she had no intention of eating it. She hadn't eaten much for a while, and it was really starting to show: Her golden skin had paled to a sickly orange color, and her eyes were a much deeper shade of green._

_____Cyborg continued to bore holes in the Gamestation with his gaze, tapping his foot and muttering under his breath. Starfire eyed him worriedly, wondering if she should talk to him, or if she should just get up and go back to trying to get Robin to come out of his room. She glanced back at Raven. No movement as of yet. Starfire was beginning to feel as if she would go insane if someone didn't say anything. But she couldn't say anything. Whatever she said, it always got the same response: Cyborg would either ignore her or say "not now", and Raven would do absolutely nothing._

_____Suddenly, Cyborg stood up. Raven's eyes lazily drifted over to him, and Starfire stopped her relentless poking. Cyborg's muttering was growing louder now, and the girls could hear that it was mostly composed of obscenities and rambling. Raven looked at him and then threw a puzzled glance at Starfire. The alien shrugged._

_____In one swift, violent motion, Cyborg tore the Gamestation from the TV and hurled it across the room. It missed Starfire's face by two inches, and pieces of it flew out in different directions when it collided with the wall behind her._

_____Cyborg stood for a moment, panting. His shoulders slumped and his eyes widened, only then realizing what he had just done and could have done. He looked up at Starfire, who was sitting perfectly straight up, feet crossed daintily under the table, just as she had been sitting minutes ago. She hadn't even flinched._

_____Starfire knew that she should have probably felt angry, scared, or possibly sad at what had just happened. She knew that Cyborg may have been under stress, just like the rest of them, but that gave him no right to be violent. And she knew she should feel sympathetic, because she knew exactly how he felt: Frustrated and confused. But she didn't._

_____Starfire felt absolutely nothing at all._

Star rolled over on the couch and put her right arm over her eyes. She felt much sicker than before, now. She remembered that day so clearly now. After that day, it had become increasingly difficult to use her powers. Sometimes—often the most inopportune times—they would fail her completely. After Raven left, she found that she could no longer fly. And after she herself left, she never had the necessity to do so.

But necessity and desire are two entirely different things.

* * *

___****__Can't sat at home, can't stay at school_

___****__Old folks say, ya poor little fool_

___****__Down the street, I'm the girl next door_

___****__I'm the fox you've been waiting for!_

Karen put another stack of papers in the shredder and turned up her CD player. She hated having to work at the paper today. She'd much rather be having lunch with Terry.

___****__Hello Daddy, hello Mom_

___****__I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-_

___****__-CHERRY BOMB!_

___****__Hello world, I'm your wild girl_

___****__I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-_

___****__-CHERRY BOMB!_

Karen jumped at the strange sensation across her waist. She recognized it immediately: Her cell phone. She turned off her CD player and flipped it open. The number was Terry's. She put her ear to it.

"Hey, Terry."

"We are idiots."

"What?"

"We. Are. Fucking. Idiots."

She laughed. "Hey, I take the term 'we' offensively. I know you're an idiot, but—"

"Rae is Raven."

Karen stopped laughing abruptly. "Excuse me?"

"Rae. Is. Raven. Raven is Rae. Rae is the nut-ball vigilante that's been leaping around, getting herself into all sorts of sh—"

"Wait, what the hell are you going on about?"

"ARE YOU NOT HEARING ME? OUR FRIEND AND COMPANION, YOUR FELLOW JOURNALIST, SECRETLY GOES AROUND IN A LEOTARD AND CLOAK FIGHTING CRIME!"

"Terry! For Christ's sake, I'm at the paper!" She said, running for the elevator, dodging stares and questions from her fellow employees. She finally got into the elevator. "Okay, now we're good. What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Rae is Raven! How the hell can I make this simpler? Should I draw you a pretty picture with crayons!"

"Chill, Terry. How do you know this?"

"It's obvious. I can't believe we didn't see it! I skipped calculus to wrack my brain about this, and here's what I came up with: Rae took off every time we heard a police siren. Suspicious? I think so!"

"Coincidental? I think so!"

"Let me finish! Now…the stuff we found about her mother. If Rae is Raven—which she IS—she has super powers, right?"

Karen was getting more and weirded out by the second. "Right…"

"Well, Angela Roth was your average teen, right? Maybe she got pregnant with some…wizard or something, I don't know! Just someone with supernatural powers, ya know? It makes sense!"

"No it doesn't. It really, really doesn't."

"Just look at her name! Rae is short for Raven! Raven the journalist, Raven the superhero! It's so obvious!"

"I bet in ten minutes I could find at least twenty Ravens in this city. Come on, who's that stupid?"

"Oh come on! Half of those Ravens would be guys anyway!"

"Okay, let's say you're not on crack, and Rae is Raven. It's been ten long, long years since the Titans split. What made her come back now? Why not five years ago, or ten more from now? I don't know about you, but if I were her, with a good job, friends, and a generally okay life going, I wouldn't say 'Huh, ya know what? Screw this, I'm gonna go put on a weird costume, fight crime, and screw up my life.' I mean, what's got her started—if it's her at all?"

"It is her. I'm right, I know it."

"Well then, the simple thing would be to talk to her."

"You think she'd tell us? Come on, the woman's hiding everything from us—"

"We're not snooping again. Talk to her if you want to know so badly, but don't expect me to go with you. I think you're on some sort of hallucinogen, and I've got work to do."

"But Karen—"

Karen pressed the button on her phone, closed it, and put it back in her pocket. This was insane. He was insane.

Wasn't he?

* * *

**Luuuucy, I'm home!**

Star dashed over and picked up her phone. That particular "ring" meant that Dick was text messaging her. She opened her phone and read the message.

**hi honey u need 2 come 2 WE right now**

Star was confused. Why would he want her to come to work this late? Her fingers moved rapidly on the buttons.

**why**

She waited a few seconds, and another message popped up.

**ive got a surprise for u**

Now Star was intrigued. She messaged him back.

**oh really**

She waited a few more seconds.

**yes my darling**

She smiled and put in another message.

**is it something romantic**

The response popped up almost instantly.

**oh yes darling its 2 die for**

Star paused. Something wasn't right, she felt. But then again, Dick enjoyed messing with her. This was just her husband, right?

**b there in 30**

**

* * *

**Terry fumbled with his coins in the phone booth. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was all he had. Karen was the planner, he was the guy who sat there and watched. So he was lost when it came to plans. But it was a plan nonetheless. He pushed his coins in the slot and dialed the number. He waited.

**Hi, you've reached Rae Roth. If you're selling something, I suggest you hang up. If not, then you know the drill.**

'Good,' Terry thought. 'I don't want her recognizing my voice; she won't take me seriously.' With that thought, Terry cleared his throat and began to speak in a deeper tone than usual.

"Hello, Raven. I just want to say, I know exactly who you are and what you've been doing. Come and meet me at Pier 21 at 6. That gives you…" He looked at his watch. "45 minutes. See you there."

Terry hung up. It was a pretty lame plan with three possible outcomes. One: She dismissed the call as a prank or just unthreatening and stayed at home. Two: She would somehow figure out that it was him and call him to yell at him. Three, and the most unlikely: She would actually bite and come.

Terry sighed and stepped out of the phone booth. There were two men standing off to the side, one of them whispering in the other's ear and making rapid hand motions which Terry recognized as sign language. The man who was listening looked up at him.

"What the hell are you looking at?" he asked.

"Nothing," Terry said quickly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to stare." He took off down the street; he had about half an hour to get to the pier. The man he had talked to looked back to the man who had now switched over to pure sign language. He made a few signs himself, nodded at his companion, and stepped into the phone booth. He slipped a few coins into the slot and dialed a number.

"This is Marv."

"Password?" a voice on the other end asked.

"India ink."

"Parchment," the voice responded, indicating the password had been accepted. "Who would you like to talk to?"

"Gerald."

"Putting you through…"

Marv waited a few seconds, and a new voice came on the other end.

"Who's this?"

"Marv."

"Ahhh…go ahead."

"I'm with Basil. We followed that twerp just like you said to."

"And?"

"He knows about Raven."

"He does? My my my, hasn't this become the world's least-kept secret. What's he gonna do?"

"He's going to Pier 21 to meet her. If she responds."

"Oh, we'll make her respond. Get down to the pier, we'll meet you there."

* * *

Star was riding the elevator in Wayne Enterprises up to the floor where Dick worked. She was a bit happy, not just to see him, but because somehow the elevator had made her feel a little less nauseous. She was still somewhat stymied as to what he could possibly have planned, especially when he had emphasized on her staying off her feet today. 

Star got out of the elevator and was surprised to find that Dick's secretary, Tracy, was nowhere to be found. She shrugged and went in anyway. She opened the doors and went into the dark office. She heard the door lock behind her. The lights flicked on, and Star stopped breathing.

In the fairly spacious office, where she had expected to find Dick, she instead found five men in his place. Four of them were dressed in normal street clothes, and the fifth was dressed in a business suit and sitting on Dick's desk. He smiled.

"Good evening, Miss Anderson."

Star backed up a few steps. "Who are you?"

"My name is Joseph Dobson (A/N: I hope you guys remember that first chapter!). I work with Mr. Grayson. He promoted me a month or two ago, don't ya know."

"And your…associates?"

"Just as you say, Miss Anderson. They're my 'associates'." He took a mahogany pipe from his pocket and lit it. "You know, I really admire your composure. Most women would be screaming their heads off right now."

"Excuse me if I'm not flattered. Where is Richard?"

"Mr. Grayson is…occupied at this point in time."

Star's eyes narrowed fiercely. "What have you done with him, you—"

"What? You 'clorbag varblernelk'?"

Star stood still as a statue, eyes now wide with fear. Dobson smiled as a few puffs of smoke escaped from his pipe.

"Please take a seat, Miss Anderson, and make yourself comfortable. We're going to have a little chat."

* * *

Terry zipped up his jacket up to his neck and stuck his hands in his pocket. Wisps of steam escaped his mouth. He hadn't realized how cold it was earlier. 'Should've said to meet at the café or something,' he thought. 'Fucking pier has to be so cold. At least I'm inside the warehouse.' 

Very suddenly, a shadow stretched across the wall in front of him. Out of the shadow stepped an elegant, female figure. Blue cloth draped over her hips and crossed arms. Her eyes were glowing, and she didn't exactly look very happy.

"Raven," he said in a businesslike manner.

"You?" she looked a bit stunned.

"Yeah, I called you. I know who you are."

"Wait…have you seen any smugglers?"

Terry's jaw dropped. "Didn't you…get my call?"

"Yeah, but I knew it was you. I was gonna call to yell at you, but I caught a message on my earpiece that said there were smugglers here."

Terry looked crestfallen. "You didn't take me seriously at all, did you?"

"Of course I did. Just…smugglers, you know? I see you, like, every day. I could meet you anytime."

"How'd you know it was me?"

Raven snickered. "Your voice, no matter how you try to change it, is kind of hard to miss."

"Damn. I really tried with that part."

She paused. "Look…I'll talk to you in a little while, OK? I need to take care of these smuggler guys."

"Oh, I think we'll be the ones taking care of you," a voice said. The doors to the warehouse opened up, and ten men wielding automatic weapons came bursting in. One of them stepped forward. "Your little buddy over there was quite a help. We figured you'd be here 'cause of him, but we sent that message over the cop's frequency as a little insurance."

"I didn't tell you bastards anything!" Terry yelled. He suddenly noticed one of the men near the back of the pack. "Hey! I've seen you before! You were that guy I saw outside of that phone booth."

The man smiled. "Smah worhl," he said.

"What?"

"He said 'small world'," the other man said. "Basil o'er here is deaf. Read your lips while you were in that phone booth."

"Shit," Terry whispered. "Sorry, Rave."

"Well, you really should look around to see who's watching you," Raven said through clenched teeth. Then, with a lowered voice, she asked, "Good thing you didn't happen to mention who you were actually addressing."

"GET 'EM!" the man shouted. Before Terry really knew what was happening, Raven had grabbed him by the waist and "phased" him through the roof with her. She ran along the roof, dodging the wave of bullets that came from below. Finally, they were in the air, and Terry was getting a bird's-eye view of the pier. Colors and lights swirled beneath him, and then they came down on a city rooftop. Raven gently dropped him, and he crawled over to a corner and threw up.

"Not one for air travel, I see," Raven said, removing her hood and running a hand through her sweaty hair.

Terry wiped his mouth. "Not really, no." He looked up at her and smiled. "I knew it. Karen said I was crazy, but I knew I was right."

"Karen's in on this?" she groaned. "Fantastic."

"She thinks I'm nuts. Can you tell her, so she won't?"

"As long as she doesn't run off to the paper, I guess. You guys aren't gonna start a club on me, are you?"

"Nah, course not. Just between friends. The only reason we did all that digging is because we were—"

"Digging? What digging?"

"Oh…shit." 'Learn to keep your mouth shut, Quinn.' "Uhh…"

"Did you and Karen spy on me?"

"No! No, we just…dug around a bit in your past, is all."

"'That's all'? What gave you the fucking right?"

"You're our friend. We were worried you were doing something…dangerous. And, you were lying to us," he added boldly.

"About what?"

"Well, besides the whole superhero thing, all those excuses—family business for instance, when your mother was declared legally dead in 1990, and I don't even know who your father—"

Now Raven had grabbed him by the collar. "Just what the hell do you think you know about my mother?" she asked icily. Terry didn't flinch.

"Her name was Angela Roth. She disappeared when she was 17. She has black hair, blue eyes, and you look almost exactly like her."

Raven paused and set him down. "That's how far you got?"

"Fact-wise. We had several theories on what happened to her…and how you were born."

Terry expected many things at this point: He expected to be shoved, slapped, yelled at, or even thrown, but he did not expect what actually happened next.

Raven started laughing.

It was not just giggling or chuckling, either. She was holding her sides and tearing up, actually starting to have trouble standing. After a few minutes of hysterics in front of a dumbfounded Terry, she sat down.

"What the hell was that!" he shouted after a few seconds.

Raven giggled a bit. "I'm sorry, it's just…oh God…you guys didn't even scratch the surface of my past. It's just sort of funny, you probably think your theories are all correct and well-drawn…oh God…my sides…"

Terry looked miffed. "OK, well then, what is your deal?"

Raven stopped giggling and her expression turned more serious. "Long story. And when I say long, I mean long." He promptly plopped down beside her.

"I've got time."

* * *

"Tell me, Miss Anderson," Dobson said, fingering his pipe. "Would you like me to call you Star? Or Starfire? Or simply Koriand'r?" 

"I'd like you to shut the hell up," Star said, gritting her teeth. Her headache was beginning to worsen; her head was maintaining the same pressure and strain as a cantaloupe in a soup can. "I will ask you again: Where. Is. Richard?"

"Nightwing will be here shortly, I imagine. I called him just before you got here. While we're waiting for him, wanna take a stroll down memory lane?" He pulled out a manila folder. "This is a copy of your Archive file. You want to read? No? I'll read it to you, how about that?"

"What is an 'Archive file'?"

"Just a little information us mobsters keep stored for…educational purposes." He cleared his throat. "'Name: Koriand'r. Alias: Starfire. Age: 19.' Well, that part's obviously changed. I'm a tactful man, though, so I won't ask you your age. But, I digress. Let's skip past some of this other stuff, shall we? Boring, really. Hmm…ah yes, here it is: 'Powers: Solar regeneration, flight, energy blasts produced by solar energy discharged from the hands and eyes.' Funny. If I were you, I would've just gone ahead and used all that by now."

"And if I were you, I'd be running," a voice from the window warned. Nightwing stood at the window with an expression of pure rage. "If you would step away from the lovely lady…"

"How about no?" one of the men in the corner sneered. Nightwing shot him a death glare.

"You think you can beat me? Think again. I can see how this is. You're underlings. The only one her who can actually realize how above this I am is Joe," he said, turning his gaze to Dobson. "And he knows you all can't win."

Dobson pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Star. "I have a .45 that disagrees with you, Mr. Grayson."

All through this exchange, Star's stomach was churning, her head was pounding, and her wrists were itching severely. She was not only frightened, but angry beyond words. Furious. This shouldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening, not to her. She was a warrior princess, not one to be toyed with and used as some bargaining chip. That had happened far too often in the past, for her parents, her people, Slade; she wouldn't take it sitting down anymore. She would tear these despicable criminals up, blast them to shreds—

'What am I thinking?'

Star's head felt as if it was being split open. 'I can't do any of those things,' she thought. But then, a long-dormant part of her mind—which had, for months, been worming its way to the surface—began to argue with her.

'You are not thinking at all. You are just standing around and waiting to be killed. And you can do those things, all of them.'

'I can't. I tried to—'

'A long time ago. You knew not how to continue, so you were forced to begin again.'

'And it was a good beginning. For the first time, I'm not a princess or a hero, I'm just a person! And being ordinary feels wonderful, relaxing!'

'Is it so relaxing now?'

Meanwhile, Nightwing and Dobson were still at it.

"I'm going to ask a few things of you, Mr. Grayson," Dobson said quietly.

"And what would those be?" Nightwing snarled.

"I would first ask that you take off your utility belt. That's it…nice and easy…lay it on the floor." Nightwing did so. "Tom. Please retrieve the belt." One of the men went up and picked the belt off of the floor, then hastily retreated to the corner again. "Now, please dispose of any weapons hidden in your hair, boots or gloves, please." The dark vigilante scowled and his gloves and boots, revealing smoke grenades, flash discs, and several knock-out darts from his hair.

"So…what's your deal, Joe?" Nightwing asked. "Have you been spying on me this whole time, or was this a recent gig?"

"If you must know," Dobson said coolly. "I've had connections to the mob for years, but I really got into it recently. Because I found that there is someone in power now that really knows what he's doing."

Star continued to argue with herself. 'It wasn't my fault! A warrior reaches a point where they can't fight anymore!'

'A warrior also reaches a point where they must fight. You have to do this.'

'How?'

"You see, Mr. Grayson, Boss sent me here to deliver a message."

"And what is that?" Dobson put the gun about an inch away from Star's face, aiming it between her eyes. Nightwing's eyes widened beneath his mask. "Don't…"

"The fact is, this isn't some sort of standoff where I give you the girl if you disarm yourself and listen to me. Boss's message is…" He cocked the gun. At that precise moment, Starfire's inner voice finally gave the answer to her question.

'You need to stop thinking like Star Anderson, and you need to start thinking like Starfire.'

Star's vision swam looking at the gun aimed at her. Her head felt as if it was going to explode any moment now. And as Dobson spoke, her vision began to turn green.

"He's going to kill you all."

Dobson's finger muscles were just beginning to tighten around the trigger, and Nightwing's vocal cords were just beginning to vibrate to let out a scream when two huge, blazing green blasts came straight from Star's eyes, sending Dobson through the wall. When Star's vision came back into focus, her headache had disappeared and there was a huge, smoking hole in the wall. The other four men were momentarily stunned, but quickly went for their guns.

"I don't think so!" Star roared, unleashing two starbolts from her hands, thus relieving the horrible burning that had plagued her wrists. Two of them dropped like rocks, and the other two went for Nightwing. He kicked one of them in the stomach so hard he fell over coughing, but the other one body-checked the hero, causing him to stumble backwards…

…Right out the window.

"RICHARD!" Star screamed. She threw the man who had hit her fiancée into the wall—cracking his ribs—and flung herself out the window. She hurtled downwards, knowing full well that she had no time to be afraid. Nightwing had no grappling hook to save him. She was all he had. Now Star found herself thinking the same thing she had told Raven years ago during an unfortunate body-switching incident that left them with each other's powers.

'Close your eyes and think of something joyful.'

Star found many thoughts entering her head at that moment. Many of them spanning back to her time with the Titans, but most from very recently: she was attempting to focus on one single happy memory, one singular thought. Dick proposing to her. 'I'm going to marry him,' she thought. 'I have to get to him, because we're going to get married.'

100 feet from the ground…

Star's hand reached out to his.

80 feet…

Nightwing's hand shot out and intertwined with hers.

50 feet…

"Hold on."

At 20 feet from the ground, Star took a sharp turn—drawing shouts and pointing from the pedestrians below—flying through the air at a speed she never had before, all the pain in her stomach dissipating. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so…right.

After about ten minutes of flying, Star landed on the roof of their apartment building. Nightwing hugged her and smiled.

"Hope we didn't draw too much attention," he said. He laughed a bit. It was a shaky, relieved laugh, as if he couldn't believe that either of them had lived through what had just happened. "I didn't know you could still use your powers that well."

"Neither did I," she whispered.

"Well…I'm firing Dobson tomorrow," he joked. "Let's hit the hay, Star."

"No…not Star." Nightwing turned to see his fiancée perfectly silhouetted in the moonlight, her eyes glowing a radiant green.

"It's Starfire."

* * *

**Blowfish: I bet you've all been waiting to hear THAT for several chapters now, no? Hope you liked it—took a while to type. What I really hope is that it ties you over 'til the next installment. But you could check out my other fic, "The Adventures of the Teen Titans". TAoTT needs love, people!**

**Starfire promotes reviewing.**


	13. Whatever You Want

**IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING AUTHOR'S NOTE.**

**Blowfish: No doubt most of you are aware; is cracking down on songfics…for no apparent reason. It really pisses me off, as a future chapter of "Heroes" was to be a song-based chapter. Also, I actually have a songfic. They're threatening account closure, so I may not be seeing you guys here again anytime soon. But if you click my profile, you'll see that I have opened a Media Miner account, where I will be continuing my stories.**

**Chimpy: Yes. But now, we would like to say something else.**

**Blowfish: …We would?**

**Chimpy: Well, we have a reviewer that has a sure-fire way of getting you off your ass to update this.**

**Blowfish: Really?  
**

**N/M Shin (cuz I don't feel like typing "ninmenju-shin"): (appears behind her) What up?**

**Blowfish: AAAAAHHH! Jeez, don't sneak up on me like that!**

**N/M Shin: (sticks JubJub the Guilt Trip Koala in her face) LOOK at that face.**

**Blowfish: AAAAHHH! NOOOOO! The cuteness…might actually…motivate me to…do and BLOOOOOOWFIIIIIISH…WE HAVE MANY TIME-WASTING INTERNET GAMES FOR YOOOOOOUUUU…**

**Blowfish: (completely forgets about JubJub) OOOH! GAMES!**

**Chimpy: No! You have to fight it, girl!**

**JubJub: (makes a purring noise and that cute face on the BB kitten from "Forces of Nature")**

**Blowfish: I…I…b-but the GAMES, Chimpy…!**

**Reviewers: (sharpening pitchforks)**

**N/M Shin: (sighs) Fine. If you won't go of your own free will, then we'll have to force you.**

**Blowfish?**

**N/M Shin: JubJub. Go for it.**

**JubJub: (face turns demonic) GREEAAAAAAARGGHHH! (jumps on Blowfish)**

**Blowfish: OMFG!111**

**(JubJub wrestles Blowfish off-camera, and sounds come from OC that only a deranged, fanfiction-craving koala and an authoress being brutally attacked by said koala could make.)**

**Chimpy: …Holy shit, dude.**

**Blowfish: MY SPLEEN!**

**Chimpy: Why is it always the spleen?**

**N/M Shin: I dunno…isn't it part of the immune system or something?**

**Chimpy: (shrugs) …HEY! Blowfish said "OMFG!111"!**

**N/M Shin: …Aaaaand?**

**Chimpy: That string of ones makes that n00b speak! THAT VILE LANGUAGE MUST NOT BE UTTERED IN THIS DOMAIN! I MUST CALL FOR THE AID OF THE HIGHER POWER! (sprinkling grated cheese on Blowfish) The power of Cheese compels you…the power of Cheese compels you…**

**Blowfish: AAAAAHHHHH! THE DANCING CHICKEN IS PECKING MY FECKING EYES OUT!**

**N/M Shin: Yeah, it'll do that.**

**Blowfish: OK…OK…CHIMPY! REVIEW RESPONSES! BEFORE I BLACK OUT!**

**Chimpy: Su—SWEET SPANDEX, N/M SHIN! YOU BROUGHT KIRBY TOO?**

**N/M Shin: Well, he wanted to come.**

**Blowfish: KIRBY, YOU WONDERFUL LITTLE BALL OF BUBBLEGUM! YOU'VE COME TO SAVE ME!**

**Kirby: (takes hammer out of…well, somewhere—see the first corollary, also known as "The Hammer Rule", from the Anime Law of Extradimensional Capacitance…which shouldn't even apply because Kirby is male—and begins furiously whacking Blowfish with it)**

**Blowfish: WELL SUCKS TO YOU TOO! CHIMPY—URK!—DO THE REVIEW—ARGH!—RESPONSES! QUICKLY!**

**Chimpy: Yes ma'am! Oh, and there is something that was commented on in a lot of reviews, so to save space, I'll clear up all the rumors right now:**

**STAR IS _NOT_****PREGNANT.**

**The sickness which happened to take place in the morning and all the other symptoms in question were a result of the buildup of her unused powers. Nothing else. So everybody, please TAKE A CHILL PILL. No babies here. Gawd, I can't believe how out of hand this got.**

**Hanita-chan: Thanks!**

**The Gemini Sage: Ha, Karen will get the truth this chapter, that's for sure. Glad you liked Starfire's return, it was supposed to be big. And please…keep the geese, I think you can see what problems we already have. Actually, I have a BIG brother. Also, this story is far from perfect. And yours is just underappreciated. People will get it in time. Especially if you do this: READ THE GEMINI SAGE'S FANFICTION! IT ROCKS! …IT MAKES YOU COOL!**

**scathac's warrior: That's going to be touched on immediately, believe it or not. So no worries, eh?**

**N/M Shin: I've been thinking about enabling it myself. Man, wish I had an unburstable bubble. Glad you like the OCs, I take pride in not making them horribly generic…though Terry is somewhat generic goofy comic relief. Ahh…about the BBRae stuff…**

**BBRae Fans: …YEEEEESSS?**

**Errr…nothing. You'll find out. OOOH! SODA! (downs in one gulp) Needed that.**

**RobinluvsStar: Thanks, I'm glad. Hope you like this as well.**

**The Last: Yes, I realize now I should've been more careful with that element of the plot (bangs head against wall). Didn't realize until TGS and scathac warrior's reviews what this had developed into. Personally, Joe's lines were my favorite of the whole chapter, especially the .45 one. He was just so smug with himself, and smug is fun to write.**

**eMOTIV: Damn, wish I could get away with that sort of stuff. Lucky. And everything with Gar and Raven going on now will be covered this chapter, so your questions shall be answered!**

**R.S. Logan: Happy you loved it, have fun with this chapter too.**

**TTJLFan: Gar's gonna be all over this chapter, trust me. And Vic will get a little story time too.**

**TTHPfan: Thanks a lot—the proposal chapter seems to own this story, huh? n.n; Maybe I'll rent it first…**

**VashStampede7123: Well, you're reviewing it now, right? That's all that counts. Sorry I didn't update sooner.**

**TDG3RD: Heh, that order is for me to know and you to find out! XP**

**secondchild02: Be patient and it will come. **

**xox.Annie Potter.xox: Well, I try to not play on the fact that Raven's hair is not an odd color that blatantly calls attention to her by calling it "dark"…because otherwise, I would have to deal with a bunch of illogical crap writing this. And her eyes always looked blue—or possibly indigo—to me, so that's just how I describe them.**

**K9: (makes rock symbol) INDEED SHE DOES!**

**Fevered Dreams: Think you've got it all figured out, eh? Well…for all I know, you do. Up to a certain point in a few chapters or so, the sequence of events is semi-predictable. But still…I'm curious to know your theories. Email me, if you want.**

**Buhnana munkey: Perhaps, but it's how it shall come about that's meant to be interesting.**

**ElvenRanger: Glad you liked it.**

**A Pleasant Reader: Ahh, vinegar. Nature's smelly cure-all. Thanks, I do believe it was one of my better, more creative ideas. And the only reason Star hung around without doing anything that I can think of was that pistol barrel she was staring down. I'd shut up too. Now that I think about it, that IS kind of like the Prisoner of Azkaban—which is, incidentally, my second favorite of the series (Order of the Phoenix overtook it—it was just TOO GOOD). Speaking of which, the Half-Blood Prince came out! And I read it in ten hours! (insert Harry Potter fangirl squee here)**

**rixietrixie91: Sorry, but Slade isn't in this. I normally would break down from not being able to write about that wonderfully wicked supervillain, but he's in another fic I'm writing…why yes, that was shameless self-advertisement!**

**Miss Poisonous: Yep. It'll come. Just…good things come to those who wait, ya know. S'all right? (checks bulletproof vest) S'all right. I talk to myself all the time, so that was a little bit of me coming out in Terry there. Makes me feel like I'm crazy, but then I remember that crazy people don't think they're going crazy—they think they're getting saner. And Boss is really cooking up some diabolical stuff.**

**On another note, I'm surprised how few people have tried their hands at guessing his identity. It's not necessarily obvious, but a skilled whodunit analyzer may take a good crack at it and not miss by much. And it's NOT Slade. Jesus.**

**Absh: I guess that was SORT of a cliffie…**

**MizMissa: Heh. ENOUGH, that's how many. I'm getting dizzy… OOH! COOKIE! (gobbles cookie)**

**Gubba-Gubba: Glad you think so.**

**kittykat: Wow, thanks.**

**raexrob: And it took an even longer time this time! --; Sorry.**

**WolfosTerrence: Nah, I wouldn't call it lagging. It's back? Maybe I'll pop in for a look-see.**

**EveningCatMoon: …How could I what? I'm confused. It's KILLING you? Well for God's sake man, call an ambulance!**

**Martablack2: 'Fraid I can't say anything yet. All that needs to be said at the moment is in this chapter.**

**raven rocks: Thanks, I will.**

**Siner6963: Really glad you like it that much. Thanks!**

**Zeva: Thanks, I like it when people are encouraged to read my other works.**

**(As review responses come to a close, JubJub, the dancing chicken, and Kirby all rise from beating Blowfish to a bloody pulp and teleport away, leaving the authoress twitching in pain on the ground.)**

**Chimpy: Wow. Talk about getting totally owned.**

**Blowfish: …Would so…kick your ass…if I wasn't hemorrhaging.**

**Chimpy: Nyah. Oh yeah, disclaimer and such.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans. If I did, all would be kneeling before me in regards to the awesomeness that was "The End". I swear, the writers of this show own my soul.**

* * *

"So, he was a demon?" 

"Yes."

"A _demon_?"

"_Yes._"

"…A _demon_?"

"YES ALREADY!"

"Sorry!" Terry said, jumping a good foot away from Rae. "I've just…I never thought demons really existed. Or half-demons."

"Yeah, I know, it's weird," Rae sighed. "But God, Terry, I told you all of this last night."

"Yeah, but it's kinda hard to get through my head. I mean…a demon!"

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, YES!"

"Apology renewed."

"Apology accepted."

There was a notable silence while Rae browsed the pages of the newspaper. Terry stole another glance at her.

"Wait…so if your mom was human, and your dad was a demon…" He paused uncomfortably. "How'd they…I mean, how'd _you_…That is to say, how did they...do demons have the same basic anatomy as humans?"

"You did _not _just ask me that."

"How am I supposed to know?"

"I explained it to you last night, that's how!"

"You never went that far into detail! It's a valid question!"

"_All _you need to know is that my father seducedmy mother. I never was too keen on knowing the details myself."

"Oh…now I'm gonna be wondering about that all day."

"You are a sick, sick boy."

"Shut up!"

"Speaking of parentage, how's your mom doing?"

"She's fine," he said, taking the 'Technology' section from Rae's paper and flipping through it. "You're kinda lucky, you know."

"With what? I've yet to come across much in the past few weeks that one would describe as lucky. Though I did find that penny on the street the other day…"

"No, I mean…you can say you really know who your parents are."

Rae stared at him quizzically. "What do you mean? Your mom—"

"Haven't I ever mentioned it?"

"What?"

"I'm adopted. My parents got me from some orphanage when I was two."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I love them and all, but I always wondered why my real parents didn't want me."

"Maybe they didn't have a choice."

"Maybe."

"But hey," Rae pointed out. "_Your_ real father wasn't a dimensional demon who tried to twist your soul to make you destroy the world."

"True," he chuckled. "Who knows, though? I could be demon-spawn like you!" He stuck out is fingers from his head like horns.

Rae actually laughed out loud. "You're a bit shrimpy to be demon-spawn."

"And you're one of those big, terrifying, muscle-bound women. Yeah."

"I still have the mystical powers, thank you very much."

"Heh. Anyway, how's the new story coming? Good?"

"Oh yeah. I get to interview the police and ask them how much they hate me. It's gonna be _swell_."

"I bet none of them have ever even met a vigilante. Heh, it would be so hilarious if they knew they were talking to the genuine article. When are you doing that? Maybe I could get a few photos."

"A week or so. I haven't got a huge amount of time or anything. The public is curious about what some of the lower officers think of me. Not just the police chief."

"He's such an asshole."

"Yeah, but he's an asshole I can identify with. It's their job to keep the city safe, and here I am, screwing up their image."

Terry nodded and looked at his watch. "Soooo…I called her to meet us in the park at noon. We might want to get going."

Raven sighed. "Yeah," she grumbled.

Karen was waiting in the park, wondering what Terry had called her about so early in the day. She had woken up at nine a.m.—following an all-nighter to finish a thesis—to the sound of a ringing phone. Her roommate had hit her several times with a pillow ("_You _take it, he's _your _goddamn boyfriend!" "He's _not _my boyfriend!") before she had picked it up and cursed Terry out for five solid minutes before listening to a word he said.

In short, Karen was counting on this being important news (despite the fact that she could tell—even over the phone—that this was most likely one of Terry's late-night coffee-induced rants). She took out her notebook and looked over her notes from yesterday's class, wondering how she could possibly pass her next exam. A voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey."

Karen spun. Balancing gracefully on a tree branch was none other than Raven, looking at Karen as if there was nothing even mildly shocking about the situation. Karen's mouth was hanging open—she wanted to say something, _anything_, but all she could get out was:

"Ji…R-ra…Geh…Blargh."

"Well geez. I was expecting the third degree, you being an ace reporter and all."

Karen stylishly whipped out her notepad—rather, she _attempted_ to whip it out stylishly, but fumbled and dropped it.

"Sooo…no questions? Not a one?" Raven asked. Karen almost got a real word out, but was halted by the sound of giggling behind her. Terry was standing there, giggling like a school girl, pointing at Karen. Karen put two and two together—though she didn't exactly get four.

"Oh, real funny, guys," she grumbled. "Real mature."

Terry stopped giggling. "Eh?"

"Getting Rae to dress up in the costume so you guys could have a good laugh. Real hilarious."

Raven actually fell out of the tree, landing flat on her back. "Agh!"

"See? I mean, you could have at least gotten someone with better hand-eye coordination."

"Karen!" Terry exclaimed, flabbergasted. "That's the _real _Raven!"

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"No, really! It's like I said on the phone! Raven and Rae are—"

"—One and the same. Like I'm gonna believe that. Rae, tell him he's nuts. Tell him he should—ow. Ow. Ow." Karen suddenly realized that her notepad was floating in the air, knocking her over the head. "WAAAGGH!"

"You dropped this," Raven said coolly.

"But…but…you…he…I...WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?"

"I'm Raven. Terry's not…entirely off his rocker." She paused. "You really should pick that up."

Karen plucked her notepad out of the air indignantly. "So you…"

"Right."

"And…"

"Yeah. Superpowers, secret identity, former Teen Titan, yadda yadda yadda."

"But…you…"

"Not what you expected?"

"Well, no, not really. You're always so quiet."

"Well, as someone I knew once rather truthfully stated, 'it's always the quiet ones, isn't it?'"

"Guess so."

"Ahem," Terry cut in. "I believe _someone _owes me an apology?"

"Hmm…if I'm not mistaken, I hear the cry of the red-crested _smugus egotist_. Look!" She gestured towards Terry. "Don't disturb it, its head is quite over-inflated and may explode at any moment!"

"And _I_ see the dreaded mark of the _sores loserus_. Don't be right about anything around it, it'll surely pounce!"

"Calm down, kids," Raven muttered. "I have to go, so I'll see you two later. Don't kill each other."

"Where are you going?" Karen asked. "I wanted to do a full interview!"

"You wish. I'm going on patrol." She ascended to the sky and faded into the distance.

"Wow. This is _so _cool. Our friend is a superhero."

"Yeah. And we can't tell a single soul."

"…This _really_ sucks."

"Mmm."

* * *

"SHERMAN!" 

Sherman put down his spy novel and went down the corridor to Boss's room. He stuck his head inside. "Yes sir?"

"Get in here, don't just stand around out there."

"I put the tails on the people you asked," the assistant said lazily.

"Not that. Come in, dammit! We need to be alone."

Sherman stepped inside and closed the door. "Do you require my assistance?" he asked, feeling a bit put-off.

"What the hell do you think I called you in for? I've gotten a tip. Dominov is creating his own legion within our forces."

Sherman snapped to attention. Eric Dominov, one of the higher-ups in their "organization," had always been a huge asset. He had rather excessive amounts of monetary support, so he was never caught—he could simply bribe anybody who got too close. If he was attempting to usurp Boss's position of power, there was a good chance he would succeed.

"You and I both know that he could get a lot of the men behind him," Boss said.

"He could pull it off if he wanted to, yes."

"I'm not sure on this, but he's supposedly got a fifth of our men convinced. Probably more. And if he were smart—which he is—then he would get at least two-thirds before going ahead."

"That would take time."

"Indeed. Time that, as long as I have a say in things, he won't have. It'd be a shame to lose all the money that Dominov has behind him, but…"

"Sir?"

"We have to make an example of him. Do you understand?"

In the dimness of the room, Boss could see a depraved grin on his normally timid assistant's face. "Why yes, sir. Disobedience must be dealt with."

* * *

"Hey, Sarah," Vic said, stepping into the tech workshop at the lab. Sarah didn't seem to hear him. Gus stepped forward. 

"Heeeeey, VIC! How ya doin'?"

"Not bad, thanks. Sarah? You okay?"

"Uhh, yeah." She got a little closer, so only Vic could hear. "I'll tell you later."

"Tell me wh—"

"—Later."

So they worked through the day, Sarah avoiding conversation with anybody. She was certainly distracted by something, but what Vic could not say. After the day was over, he met her outside the lab.

"So what's up?" Vic asked anxiously.

"I…I think I'm being followed."

He looked at Sarah incredulously. "Followed?"

"Yeah, you know, tailed."

"By who?"

"How should I know? I didn't just go up to the guy and say, 'Hey, you know you've been following me for the past ten blocks? 'Cause if you're a stalker, that'd be _swell_ to know so I can install extra locks!'"

"Whoa, chill. Maybe it's all just a misunderstanding. I'll walk you to my where my car is parked and I can take you home. Nobody'll follow you if you've got _this _big lug with you."

"Aww. Thanks, Vic. Where are you parked?"

"Just a few blocks away. Murder to find a space, I hope the meter didn't expire."

They walked through the bustling streets at a fairly brisk pace, but Vic began to get the feeling that Sarah was right. He looked over his shoulder several times to find the same man trailing them, his steps in time with theirs. He had a map covering his face, giving the impression of a confused tourist. Vic knew better. He put an arm around Sarah's shoulder and steered her towards a relatively crowded convenience store.

"Want to pick up some chips for Brian?" he asked loudly. Sarah stared at him, but caught on quickly and responded with the same volume that she thought that was a great idea. They went into the store and weaved in and out of the aisles, making their way towards the back slowly. Sure enough, the same man with the map, now folded up, had followed them inside. There were groups of people scattered about the store: A gaggle of teenagers were loitering around the freezers, several middle-aged men were crowded around the front trying to sort out who was paying for what, a couple that looked like they were mere moments from leaving, and a family that looked as if they were only stopping there for some batteries for the father's cell phone. Vic led Sarah very strategically through these groups, their stalker in the next aisle doing a job of not being conspicuous. Sarah pretended to pick up a bag of chips, and Vic clamped his hand on her shoulder a little harder, signifying it was time to move. They took a sharp turn away from their pursuer, and he looked over to see where they were going—however, he was too engrossed in their movements to keep track of his own. He smacked into one of the teenagers, knocking the youth backwards into one of his friends.

"Watch where you're going, man!" the boy shouted at him. The man looked around for Sarah and Vic, but one of the boy's comrades got in his face.

"Don't you think you owe him an apology?" a gangly girl with spiked hair demanded, cracking her gum between her teeth. The man tried to get away from her, but a muscular boy with a nose ring and a red streak in his hair stepped in front of him.

"_Apologize,_" he said harshly. The man saw the front door of the store close as a pair of people stepped outside.

"I'm sorry," he grunted. "Now if you brats will leave me alone, I have big, important, grown-up things to do." He hurried towards the front of the store, the teens shouting at him until he was clear of the door. He caught up with the couple that had left the store—only he had the wrong couple. A tall bald man with a raven-haired woman by his side was looking suspiciously over his shoulder at the man. The tail swore under his breath. He'd lost them.

"That was genius," Sarah laughed, making her way with Vic away from the back door of the store. "How'd you know to do that?"

"It's like chess," Vic answered breezily. "You just have to think ten steps ahead."

"You must be _really _good at chess, then. I'd swear you'd done this before."

Vic laughed nervously. "Nope, just a good analyst." In the old days, he'd ditched bad guys all the time using those tactics. He had to admit, it came in handy. However, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling he'd gotten back there. Why was somebody following Sarah? Furthermore, why did they persist when he joined her? All the people he'd had follow him usually backed off a bit when he joined a group, but this guy had only followed them closer.

"You okay?"

"What?" he yelped, snapping out of his trance. "Oh. Sorry. Just…thinking."

"About what?"

"Well, doesn't it at all disturb you that you were being followed?"

"Yeah, I guess it does. But maybe it's some kind of mistake. I mean, what's so important about me?"

"No idea. Other than, you know, you goin' out with me."

"Geez. I feel special."

"Aww, I didn't mean it like _that_, I just…I'm kinda worried now."

"Me too, Vic. Me too."

* * *

"OK. OK. This isn't as hard as it seems. It _seems _terrifying, but it's not. It's no problem for you. You da man. You da man. You da man. Just keep saying that in your head. You da man. You da man. You da man. Now pick up the phone. It's not hard. It's really not. You just have to move your arm…OK. Just move your arm." 

Gar's arm remained completely stationary at his side.

"OK. It's not that difficult. You just need to think about what you want to happen. I close my eyes. I see my arm moving. My brain is sending impulses down to the nerves in my shoulder telling it to move my arm in its socket…and yet my arm does not move. OK. This is something that should _not _take this much energy or brainpower. 'Kay. Hey! There you go! Arm lifted! OK. Phase one complete. You're doin' good. You're doin' good, Gar."

Gar's arm was outstretched towards the telephone.

"OK. Now just pick up the phone. This is a bit more complicated. I need to put my hand down…on the phone. OK! Good! Hand gripping receiver! This is excellent. This is great. OK, receiver positioned by ear. Phase two complete. Halfway there, Gar, halfway there. Now…what's her number? Oh damn. Oh damn, oh damn, ohdamnohdamnohdamn. WAIT! I can check my little black book—OK, it's not _that_ type of little black book, it's just a book that happens to hold girl's phone numbers and happens to be black, and…I am _not _that type of guy. I'm NOT!"

Even Gar was not impressed by his own argument. He flipped through the small book to the number he was looking for.

"OK...549…366…9887...it's ringing. Moment of truth, Gar. You can do this. You _can _do this. It stopped ringing! Hello, this is G—"

"_Hi, you've reached Rae Roth. If you're selling something, I suggest you hang up. If not, then you know the drill."_

"Answering machine. Damn. OK. Hey there, Rae! This is Gar! I was just calling to let you know I…err…just wanted to talk, you know? I saw you outside that café, but you split, and I didn't get to say hi, or even introduce you to that friend I was with. She was _not _my girlfriend, if that's what you thought. No way. She's actually dating someone right now. Met him. Nice guy. Doesn't speak loads of English, actually—he's Puerto Rican moved in here really recently. Only knows the basics, 'cause he learned some over there, but Alison—that's the girl—speaks Spanish anyway. He knows how to say 'fart,' though, which is really funny—"

BEEP!

"—Hello? Was I just cut off? Dammit! Must…finish…message…ah, there we go!"

"_Hi, you've reached Rae Roth. If you're selling something, I suggest you hang up. If not, then you know the drill."_

"Hey, you know your answering machine cut me off? Anyway, I was getting carried away with Alison and her guy, sorry. I just wanted to talk. You seemed upset when you ran from the café, so I thought I might wanna set things straight. I know you're really into your, err, _job_ right now, but I thought we should really sit down and sort this whole mess out. I mean, _really_ get to what's causing this gap between us—I know our goals and ambitions are a big part of it, but I feel like we're having…you know, communication problems! I mean, like the café—real sorry to keep bringing that up—where you totally got the wrong idea and—"

BEEP!

"GODDAMMIT! OK, I am getting _really freakin' PO'd_ at this machine! Just need to SAY what I need to SAY. Oy-vey. Now…"

"_Hi, you've reached Rae Roth. If you're selling something, I suggest you hang up. If not, then you know the drill."_

"Machine hook again. But listen, I should just say what I've been meaning to say this entire time—and I will be _so_ angry if you're just sitting there listening, getting a good laugh in—which is that I _really, really, REALLY _want to work out things between us. I think it could work. I want it to work. I just want to know if that's what you want, too. I…I just want to know what you want."

BEEP!

"OK. That wasn't so hard, was it? Now you just have to wait for her to call back. Just give her some time to process it."

Gar fiddled with his watch for a few minutes.

"…Geez, how long is this gonna take?"

* * *

"Yo, Dick. It's Vic." 

"Oh hey, Vic." Dick chuckled. "You ever stop and think about how our names rhyme? It's kinda funny."

"Yeah, it is," Vic agreed hastily. "Listen, did you catch that movie, last night, _Code of Honor_? I missed it."

He expected his friend to hesitate—after all, Vic hadn't used the T-code in ten years, and had no reason to use it now—but Dick didn't miss a beat. "Nah, was too busy watching _Remember the Titans_. Great flick."

"One of my favorites too. Hey, you know how I told you about that tour I took that girl on?"

Dick paused. "Not sure I do Go on."

"Well, I tell ya, that date was a real bomb. She just kept going _on and ON_ about her job at that designer store."

Dick perked up a bit. "Oh yeah, she's a sales clerk, isn't she?"

"Yeah." Now Dick had a better grip on what they were talking about. They had always used tour to refer to a stealthy task or something suspicious. Sales clerk was what they called a shady person. "She just wouldn't shut up, and once the tour was over, she wouldn't stop following me. Finally ditched her, but it was real frustrating."

"Just wouldn't leave you alone, huh?" Dick knew now that Vic was saying he had been followed by someone with suspect motives.

"Yeah, and you know what's worse? She starts harassing Sarah, the girl I'm dating right now! It's downright embarrassing, is what it is!"

"Harassing Sarah?" Dick felt even more nervous for Vic—this person was not only tailing him, but his girlfriend as well. This had 'insurance tactic' written all over it—that is, whoever was following them was either after Sarah or Vic, and was tailing the other to use for "insurance" if their plans with the real target were to go awry. This was _not _good. He was caught up in too much right now to go check it out himself…but he knew someone that could do it. "I'll call you back, OK? I promised I'd call someone else."

"Right," Vic replied quietly. "I understand."

* * *

"…_work out things between us. I think it could work. I want it to work. I just want to know if that's what you want, too. I…I just want to know what you want."_

Rae stirred her coffee and let the information settle in her mind. He wanted to know what she wanted. She snorted. "Gar doesn't want anything that doesn't suit him," she muttered. "Still…" She broke off, thinking. Maybe it _was _time they straightened things out. "For his sake." Her phone rang, but she let the machine get it. She needed to deal with the matters at hand.

"_Rae? This is Dick. Look, if you're home, pick up. It's important."_

Rae got up, but left the phone on the hook.

"_OK, guess you're really not there." _ He began speaking very quickly._ "I guess I'll take my chances, then…look, Vic needs help. He thinks someone is trying to…_get_ to him and Sarah, if you know what I mean. Watchin' 'em. I just really hope this isn't being tapped right now. Bye."_

Rae cursed herself for not picking up. She didn't think Dick meant _that _important. "Should've known better, with Mr. Serious..." She knew what her priorities were now. There would be time for Gar later—Vic needed her now.

* * *

Vic was getting that sinking feeling. 

He looked over his shoulder again. The same guy had been following him for the past five blocks. It wasn't the guy that had been following him and Sarah in the afternoon, but this guy was acting basically the same. Vic felt horribly cornered and confused. He didn't know why this guy was tailing him, but he knew it couldn't be anything good. He passed by an alleyway. Suddenly, he heard something that sounded vaguely like trash cans banging together. He turned around. The man had disappeared from sight. Vic paused, then smiled. "Guess I've got a guardian demon watchin' over me."

Vic was absolutely right. At that moment, Raven was dangling his pursuer by the ankles from the top of the building. The man looked ready to wet his pants, but Raven looked almost bored.

"OK, bud," she said conversationally. "I'll give you, say, 'til the count of ten to tell me why you're tailing that innocent gentleman."

"T-tail? I don't know what you're talkin' about!" the man shrieked.

"One…"

"Let me down!"

"Two…"

"I swear on my ma's grave I ain't lyin'!"

Raven looked down at the man with a rather disenchanted expression. "Your mother lives in Reno. Try again."

The man looked more angry than scared now. "Let me go, dammit!"

"Three…"

"Like you'll really drop me…"

Raven gritted her teeth. "Nine…"

"OK, I'LL TALK! DOMINOV TOLD ME TO FOLLOW THIS GUY, BUT HE DIDN'T SAY WHY!"

Raven wavered. "Eric Dominov? The millionaire?"

"Yeah, yeah! He's trying to take down the mob—oh shit, he'll KILL me now that I've blabbed—to _you_, of all people!"

"You expect me to believe Eric Dominov—_sixty-eight-year-old millionaire Eric Dominov_—is in charge of the mob?"

"Well, not yet, but he was tryin' to get it away from Boss, yeah."

"Hmph. Everything I run into seems to lead back to Boss."

"Well…"

"What?"

"I dunno anything for sure, but they say he's got this thing about the Titans. Wants to kill all of 'em. Can't, though, can he? Cyborg and Beast Boy are still under wraps—he was real happy when Starfire started zoomin' around Gotham again, 'course that only happened real recently—oh shit. Shouldn't've said that. Should've shut up."

"That's fine. You've been a real help—now tell all your friends that are tailing people—"—she tossed him over her head, and he landed ten feet behind her—"to stop. NOW."

"R…right…"

Raven dusted off her hands. "Good." She looked at her watch. "It's late. S'pose I'll leave that talk with Mr. Dominov for tomorrow night."

After a quick change, Rae was back on the streets, homeward bound. She decided that she would take the back way, feeling that she did not want to deal with the crowded main streets. So, she wove through the alleys, coming to a quieter part of the city—the street she was on was completely empty, and the lights of the buildings were dim. She knew this sector well, and could tell she wasn't far from her apartment. However, she turned a corner and…

"Oof!"

"Ah!"

"Sorry, wasn't even watching where—"

"No, it was my—"

The two strangers stepped back and, upon further inspection, realized they weren't strangers at all.

"Gar?"

"Rae?"

Rae stuffed her hands in her pockets, unimaginably uncomfortable with the situation. "Err…what're you doing up in these parts?"

"Just going for a stroll," he said defensively. "Not against the law."

"Yeah, but…isn't it a bit out of your way? You live, like, thirty blocks from here."

"Uhh…well…OK, I was coming to see if you got my message."

"You could've called."

"I did. Six times."

"Ah."

Gar shuffled his feet a bit, and Rae coughed.

"So…did you get my message?"

"You mean your messag_es_?"

"Well yeah." He blushed.

"Yes. I suppose, since we're both here, we should do that…_talking_ thing you wanted to do."

"Yeah!" he said enthusiastically. Then, realizing Rae didn't share his enthusiasm, he grew a bit more serious. "We should."

"You wanted to talk about…'_us_.'"

"Well, more specifically, if there _is_ an 'us.'"

"That's a good question."

Gar was irritated. She was just beating around the bush, hoping he would leave her alone. She wouldn't even meet his eyes. "Well…it's you that's making it so damn complicated!" he blurted out. "I've told you what I want. You've known this entire time. But I'm still in the dark about you." He was so exasperated he didn't notice the ever-shrinking space between their faces. "What do you _want_!"

Rae was staring straight into his eyes now, unable to avert her eyes from the pair of green orbs staring down at her. She sighed inwardly. This was it. She slid her hands up onto his face—which immediately heated up—and pulled it up next to hers.

"Garfield," she breathed. "_This _is what I want."

He leaned in without any coaxing. Their lips brushed at first, but then fully pressed against each other's. Her hands slid down from his face to his neck, while his arms locked around her waist. Gar let himself get completely lost in the moment, letting his brain be overcome by the thoughts bursting through it at a thousand miles an hour—_she loves me, this is how it's going to be forever, it's going to be fine, no, better than fine, it's going to be wonderful, just like right now, just me and her—_but then, suddenly, it was over. Rae was gazing at him, he could see the longing in her eyes—why did she make it stop?

Rae rested her head on his shoulder, her hands sliding away from his neck and falling back down to her sides. His arms were still intertwined around her waist. Her voice came out as a hushed whisper: "What I want stopped mattering a long time ago."

Gar felt his insides seize up—she was going to leave. "Don't," he pleaded, his voice cracking. "Please, don't. What I want still matters. It _does_." But already she was backing away, breaking away from his embrace. His arms slipped from her hips to his sides. He wanted to run after her. _She_ wanted him to run after her. But what kind of reason was that, he thought.

Even she didn't care what she wanted anymore.

* * *

"Yes, I'm coming, I'm coming!" Eric Dominov shouted, hobbling into the foyer to answer whoever was banging the door. He opened it to find a bespectacled man in his mid-thirties standing in front of him. "Who are you?" 

"I was sent by Chugger," the man replied.

"Ah, yes. Come in, come in, don't stand out there in the rain. You'll get soaked!"

The man stepped in, laughing. "'Fraid it's a bit late for that, sir." He rubbed his gloved hands together.

"Take your coat off, young man, there's a rack over there."

"I'm just going to be here for a few minutes, thanks."

"If you insist. So, Chugger sent you?"

"Yes."

"Good man, Chugger. Such an odd taste in codenames, eh?"

"True." The man shivered a little and pushed a stray lock of his red hair behind his ear.

"Well if you won't take your coat off, at least come to the living room by the fire." Dominov led the man to the living room, where Dominov had obviously been before answering the door: There was a tray of chocolates set out by a table, which had a half-finished game of solitaire set up on it. The fire was roaring, and the visitor moved close to it, basking in the heat.

"Dreadfully chilly out there," the visitor said. "Rain at this time of year. Really." He looked around. "I'd think you'd have a butler, or something. Such a large mansion, and you…well…"

"I _am_ getting old, if that's what you're referring to," Dominov said gruffly, turning to face a portrait of himself on the wall. "But I intend to achieve my goal—achieve something of _real_ importance—before I die. Boss is relatively young—he's had his time, and he'll no doubt have more of it later. I need my time now. I haven't got much left."

"No, I suppose you haven't really."

"So," Dominov continued, still transfixed on the work of art in front of him. "what _did _Chugger send you for? Does he need further instructions?"

"No, he has received instructions. Boss has told him he'll slit his throat if he continues in his mutinous behavior."

Dominov stuck his hand in his jacket, feeling around. "Is that so?"

The man's face was contorted by a horrible grin. "Why yes, it is."

"…Who are you, really?"

The man's grin broadened. "I'm only known by one name, and it's not really mine. They call me Sherman."

Upon hearing that name, Dominov spun around faster than any man his age should have been able to, whipping out the .38 concealed beneath his dinner jacket with stunning speed. But it was all in slow motion to Sherman. The arm withdrew from the jacket…Sherman reached into his coat…the arm outstretched to aim at him…Sherman saw his opening.

SHHUNK!

The action itself had taken less than a second: As Dominov pulled the gun, Sherman had found the opening in the sweeping motion of Dominov's arm and sent a spade flying straight into Dominov's throat. Death was, unfortunately for the aging mobster, not immediate. He found himself staring up at the ceiling, flat on his back. Sherman walked over, and leaned down.

"Let this be a message to all who would cross Boss: Disobedience is not tolerated."

With one swift—and from Dominov's point of view, quite painful—jerk, Sherman removed his spade from his dying adversary's throat. He took the handkerchief from Dominov's shirt pocket, wiped his spade with it, and laid it flat over the old man's face. "I do find the open eyes quite disturbing," he said casually, as if talking to someone other than the practically-dead man at his feet. Sherman paused at the solitaire game on the table. "Hmm…eight of hearts…over to the nine of spades. There you go."

* * *

Terry was running to bus stop in the rain, which was finally beginning to abate after half an hour. His hood was drawn over his head, so he wasn't able to see as well as usual when turning the corner, causing him to run headlong into a man, sending them both crashing to the ground. Terry's hood was knocked off and his glasses were thrown from his face. 

"Geez! I'm sorry, mister," he said, feeling around on the ground for his lost glasses. He put them back on and looked over at the man he had run into. He felt so embarrassed. They got up, straightened their glasses and brushed off their coats. Terry brushed a stray lock of auburn hair behind his ear, and the man pushed his messy red hair out of his face.

"It's fine, kid," the man grunted. "Just watch where you're going, OK?"

"Yeah. I really _am _sorry, mister…"

"Sherman. It's _fine_. I gotta go."

"Right. Bye."

"Seeya 'round, kid."

**

* * *

Blowfish: I will get SO many reviews claiming to know the significance of that scene, and SO many of them will probably be right. But if you have any (valid) guesses, PLEASE EMAIL THEM TO ME. I don't want to end up in an awkward situation in review responses if any of you should be right.**

**Sorry for taking a long-ass time to update. Really. Anyway, I just hope Miss Poisonous doesn't shoot me now.**

**MP: Won't make any promises…**

**Blowfish: Yeah, that's what I thought. Sorry about the lack of Star, but I did mention her! Loads of Star action next chapter, I promise. Seeya!**


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